US and S. Arabia clash in public over oil cut, Russia

US and S. Arabia clash in public over oil cut, Russia

The United States and Saudi Arabia traded barbs Thursday over last week's OPEC+ oil output cut, with Washington accusing Riyadh of knowingly boosting Russian interests.

The Saudi-led OPEC+ cartel -- which includes Russia -- angered the White House by cutting production by two million barrels a day from November, raising fears that oil prices would soar.

Saudi Arabia issued a rare press release on Thursday, shrugging off accusations it was "taking sides in international conflicts" as Russia's war in Ukraine rages on.

But US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby quickly fired back, saying that Saudi Arabia knew the cut "would increase Russian revenues and blunt the effectiveness of sanctions. That is the wrong direction."

The United States has vowed to re-evaluate ties with the oil-rich kingdom since the cut, which was widely seen as a diplomatic slap in the face for Washington.

President Joe Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia in July and met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- with the two greeting each other with a high-profile fist bump.

Biden had previously vowed to make the country an international "pariah" following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

"The Saudi Foreign Ministry can try to spin or deflect, but the facts are simple. The world