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The Middle East has taken center stage this week as oil prices continue to skyrocket and western nations look to boycott Moscow over its deadly invasion into Ukraine.
But the Biden administration’s attempts to garner support from oil-rich nations to assist Ukraine and counter prices at the pump has been met with resistance, the result of what some argue is long-standing mistrust of the U.S. from nations like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to recent reports, President Biden was rebuffed by the two nations’ leaders when he attempted to arrange calls with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the UAE’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The White House National Security Council (NSC) pushed back hard on the reports, with spokesperson Emily Horne telling Fox News, “This is a mischaracterization and does not reflect reality. There are no rebuffed calls, period.”
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In addition, Secretary of State Antony Blinken last week downplayed the suggestion that the Biden administration was snubbed by oil-leading nations in the Middle East saying, “We’re all talking regularly.”
However, the complex relationship between the U.S. and the oil-rich Gulf nations dates back decades and has been influenced by geopolitical policies relating to everything from oil embargoes in the 1970s to the suspension of arms amid the ongoing crisis in Yemen.
In this photo provided by the Saudi Royal Court, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, welcomes Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani upon his arrival to attend the Gulf Cooperation Council’s 41st Summit in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 5, 2021.
(Saudi Royal Court via AP)
“In the Middle East, and specifically in Arab society, relationships matter. The last thing you want to be is a fair-weather friend,” Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official who advised the military on matters relating to Iran…
Source : foxnews
