Biden Needs More Than Oil From Saudi Arabia
If US relations with the Gulf kingdom are to recover, the two countries must first respect each other’s core interests.
In from the cold?
Photographer: Leon Neal/Getty Images
In agreeing to visit Saudi Arabia next month, US President Joe Biden has stepped back from his vow to treat the country as a “pariah.” Critics have blasted him for overlooking Saudi human-rights violations, including the brutal murder and dismemberment of former Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. In exchange, Biden has won only a token increase in oil production that won’t do much to lower gas prices at home.
Even so, Biden’s trip can serve a valuable purpose. Healthy US-Saudi ties are critical to calming a volatile part of the world and stabilizing global energy markets. When he meets with Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — widely known as MBS — Biden should make clear that improved relations require both nations to respect the other’s core interests.