Jake Sullivan, White House national security advisor, said that no changes to the US-Saudi relation were imminent while President Joe Biden reevaluates it.
US President Joe Biden said that he will be “methodical” in deciding how to react to Saudi Arabia’s decision to cut oil output. But there are other options, White House national Security adviser Jake Sullivan stated Sunday.
CNN’s Mr. Sullivan said that no changes in the US-Saudi relationship are imminent, as Mr. Biden reevaluates it.
“And so, the president isn’t going to act in a hurry. He will act strategically, methodically, and he will take his own time to consult both the members of each party and allow Congress to return for him to sit with them to discuss the options.” Mr. Sullivan stated.
One day after OPEC+ producers announced output cuts last week over US objections to their plans, Mr Biden vowed that he would impose “consequences” on Saudi Arabia for backing the cuts. In response to Moscow’s war in Ukraine, the West plans to impose a limit on Russian oil exports. This OPEC+ move is a setback for Western countries.
US Senator Bob Menendez is a Democrat and chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He called for an end to US arms sales in Saudi Arabia after the OPEC+ initiative.
Biden’s options include changes to our approach towards security assistance to Saudi Arabia. However, I don’t want to get ahead. But I will say that there’s nothing urgent,” Mr Sullivan stated, adding that there was still time for Mr Biden and Congress to discuss the matter.
Mr. Sullivan indicated that Mr. Biden did not intend to meet with Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a G20 leaders summit held in November in Indonesia.
When asked if Biden would see Russia’s use a small, tactical nuclear weapon or its detonation in the Black Sea as less severe than a larger bomb. Mr. Sullivan responded that it was dangerous to draw such distinctions. The president wouldn’t.
“Use of a Nuclear Weapon on the Ukrainian Battlefield is the same thing as using a Nuclear Weapon on the Ukrainian Battlefield.” “We are not going to slice it,” Mr. Sullivan stated.
He stated that NATO’s allies, along with other responsible countries like China and India, had the responsibility to send “a very clear message to Russia” not to contemplate nuclear weapons use in this conflict.
