(Washington Times) President Biden will leave Saudi Arabia without a deal to increase oil supply, despite a hard push to get the oil-rich country to pump more crude amid record high gas prices.
Speaking to reporters Friday after his meeting with Saudi King Salman and his son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is the nation’s de facto ruler, Mr. Biden admitted that little progress had been made to strike an oil deal.
“I’m doing all I can to increase the supply for the United States of America, which I expect to happen,” Mr. Biden said Friday. “The Saudis share that urgency and based on our discussions today, I expect we’ll see further steps in the coming weeks.”
A White House fact sheet released hours after Mr. Biden’s speech said the United States welcomes an increase in production levels 50% above what was planned for August and July. But that refers to an announcement made last month by the OPEC+ cartel, of which Saudi Arabia is a member.
It was a stunning concession from Mr. Biden, who handed Saudi Arabia a diplomatic win with the meeting without getting his main goal for the trip in return.
Mr. Biden said he raised the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the beginning of his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammad, who U.S. intelligence officials say orchestrated his death.
“I said, very straightforwardly, for an American president to be silent on an issue of human rights is inconsistent with who we are and who I am,” Mr. Biden said. “I’ll always stand up for our values.”
The president also said that the crown prince denied any personal responsibility for the death of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who was an outspoken critic of the Saudi government. Crown Prince Mohammad said he took action against those responsible for Khashoggi’s death.
Khashoggi’s murder has largely overshadowed Mr. Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia, where the president sought to convince the kingdom’s leaders to pump more oil, finalize a delicate cease-fire with Yemen, and integrate Israel into the region.
Critics fiercely condemned Mr. Biden’s meeting with the crown prince, accusing the president of sacrificing his commitment to human rights in an effort to lower gas prices in an election year. Mr. Biden was frequently reminded that he once vowed to make Saudi Arabiaa pariah for its role in Khashoggi’s death.
Mr. Biden greeted Crown Prince Mohammad with a first bump instead of a handshake to avoid giving the leader a photo opportunity that could lend more legitimacy to his rule amid alleged human rights abuses in the kingdom.
“The fist bump between President Biden and Mohammed bin Salman was worse than a handshake — it was shameful,” said a statement from Fred Ryan, the Post’s publisher.
