Biden sent 2 officials to Saudi Arabia to ask the kingdom to produce more oil, fearing a Russian attack would send energy prices soaring
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- The White House sent two US officials to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to discuss boosting oil production.
- Biden had warned that war between Russia and Ukraine will impact US energy prices.
- The Saudis are reticent to boost production as it may anger its fellow OPEC+ member Russia, CNN reported.
The White House said on Wednesday that it dispatched two officials to Saudi Arabia to discuss boosting oil production, as tensions between Russia and Ukraine rise and threaten energy prices.
President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday that a war between Russia and Ukraine would likely "impact on our energy prices" and that the US was "taking active steps to alleviate the pressure on our own energy markets."
On Wednesday, Brett McGurk, the Middle East coordinator on the National Security Council, and Amos Hochstein, the State Department's energy envoy, met with Saudi officials in Riyadh to discuss oil supplies, CNN reported.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed some of the details, telling reporters: "I can confirm they're on a trip. There are a range of range of topics to discuss, including Yemen. And, as you know ... engaging with our partners around the world about ensuring supply meets demand is part of our objective from here as well."
However, Saudi authorities are reticent to boost oil production as it could anger Russia, which is also part of the OPEC+ oil-production alliance, CNN reported.
McGurk and Hochstein's trip follows a February 9 call between Biden and King Salman of Saudi Arabia in which the leaders spoke about "ensuring the stability of global energy supplies," according to the White House readout.
Saudi Arabia is the world's third-biggest oil producer after Russia and the US, and the White House appears to want Riyadh to take up the slack should Russia attack Ukraine. Analysts have warned that energy prices could rise if countries put sanctions on Russia for taking action against Ukraine, as Russia may not be able to export energy supplies.
In recent months, Russia has amassed more than 130,000 troops at its border with Ukraine, with the US repeatedly warning that an invasion could be imminent.
On Tuesday, Russia said it was pulling some troops back from the border, but the US, NATO, and Ukraine have cast doubt on the claim.
A US official said on Wednesday that Russia had in fact deployed 7,000 more troops to the Ukrainian border.
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