A top United States Senator, Bob Menendez, on Monday, urged Washington to suspend all cooperation with Saudi Arabia after Riyadh’s decision to cut oil production, a move that could potentially aid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
According to France24, Menendez slammed Saudi Arabia, saying that a state cannot be on both sides of a conflict; it can either support the rest of the free world in its efforts to end a criminal war that is annihilating an entire country or it can support the criminal.
He went on to say that “the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose the latter in a terrible decision driven by economic self-interest.”
Bob further stated that as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he will not approve any collaboration with Riyadh until the kingdom reconsiders its stance on the Ukraine conflict.
Last week, the 13-nation, Saudi-led OPEC cartel and its ten allies, headed by Russia, agreed to slash oil production by two million barrels per day beginning in November which raised concerns that oil prices could skyrocket.
Saudi Arabia defended the decision by commenting that OPEC’s priority was “to maintain a sustainable oil market” but the sanctions and moves from the US are aiming to isolate a major energy producer over its invasion of Ukraine.
