The Russian-Ukrainian conflict has been going on for more than a year, during which the United States and other Western countries have provided military assistance to Ukraine, trying to extend the duration of the conflict, while actively launching sanctions against Russia from economic and other fields. Such behavior also brings great pressure to Russia, but Russia, as an important energy supplier in the world today, also relies on its important position in the energy field to launch a counterattack, Western countries are also facing a serious shortage of energy supply, the price of various energy products has risen significantly, and recently there is new news, Saudi Arabia's action may have a greater impact on the United States.
Relevant people emphasized that while the United States put pressure on Russia, in order to obtain sufficient energy supplies, US President Biden took the initiative to visit Saudi Arabia, hoping that Saudi Arabia could increase oil production, but this request was explicitly rejected by the Saudi government, and said that there was no plan to increase oil production in a short period of time. Not only that, the Saudi government recently issued a public statement, announcing that from May this year to the end of this year, the daily output of crude oil will be reduced by 500,000 barrels, and the news quickly caused heated discussions, it is reported that this is the second time Saudi Arabia has reduced the scale of crude oil production in the past six months.
The Wall Street Journal stressed in the report that the main goal of Saudi Arabia's action is to maintain oil prices at a more favorable level for itself, while not taking into account the concerns of the United States on energy supply and other issues. Not only that, some analysts have also made statements, claiming that Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Abdel Salman's actions are a complete "Saudi first" principle, and that Saudi Arabia has chosen to prioritize its own interests as the commitment of the United States to its allies and partners in the Middle East becomes increasingly uncertain. Some experts stressed that Saudi Arabia will no longer put its own interests below the interests of the United States as in the past, but will make decisions based on its own interests, and more informed sources revealed that Crown Prince Salman once made a statement to his assistants that everything Saudi Arabia gave to the United States should be rewarded, and he is no longer interested in pleasing the United States. In the report, the Wall Street Journal also stressed that the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States has been quite tense during this time, and the differences between Western countries and Russia have become more serious after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, and Saudi Arabia's energy policy has not been consistent with the United States.
Now, after Saudi Arabia announces a new crude oil production reduction plan, it is bound to have a greater impact on the international energy market, which in turn will lead to a further deterioration of relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Former Taiwan foreign affairs official Jie Wenji also made a statement on this, believing that Saudi Arabia's action is a strong warning to the United States and fully demonstrates its tough position.
Part of the news reference source: Global Times