White House stops asking Saudi Arabia to pump more oil to offset Putin’s price hike, report says, as US-Gulf relations hit new low

White House stops asking Saudi Arabia to pump more oil to offset Putin’s price hike, report says, as US-Gulf relations hit new low

The White House has given up asking Saudi Arabia to pump more oil after being repeatedly rebuffed by the kingdom, , the latest sign of a growing rift between the two nations. The after President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, sending prices at the pump soaring. In turn, the US turned to Saudi Arabia to boost production and drive down prices. But the Saudis declined, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — the kingdom's de facto ruler — . Saudi Arabia and Russia are key members of the OPEC+ oil producers alliance, on a tiny increase in production in late March, despite global price rises. A senior US official told The Journal that, after abandoning its efforts to get Saudi Arabia to up oil production, the US instead started asking the Saudis not do anything that would hurt the West's efforts in Ukraine. The Journal report did not give further details, but Saudi Arabia is one of a number of nations who have not condemned Putin's invasion of Ukraine, with Crown Prince Mohammed recently peace talks. The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. Saudi Arabia's decision to avoid angering Russia instead