Clinton attacks Saudi Arabia How did the Ukraine war worsen Riyadh's relations with Washington?

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attacked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its commitment to maintaining the current levels of oil production, at a time when Washington, which is witnessing an unprecedented wave of inflation in fuel prices, is calling on Riyadh to raise its oil exports to get out of this crisis.

Clinton's statements sparked a wave of anger among the Saudi people, and the Saudis recalled the treatment of former Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal with her when he hung up the phone while she was talking. While these recent tensions reveal a turning point in the relations between the Kingdom and the United States, which, since the Russian attack on Ukraine, have reached a dangerous turning point, the conflict of positions and the difference of interests.

Carrot and stick style

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Saudi Arabia for its current oil policies and for standing with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the attack on Ukraine. This was during her hosting of the “ nbcnews ” channel , where the interviewer addressed her, saying: “Saudi Arabia can relieve pressure on us and the countries of Europe regarding energy, but they chose to side with Putin, so should some of the consequences of that be our relationship?”

Clinton responded, "I was disappointed with the Saudi decision because I think it was a very short-term decision and not in anyone's interest, including theirs." "If I were Minister Blinken, I would certainly do everything I could to try to be more convincing and talk about some consequences," she promised. "I think you should go carrot and stick."

Saudi anger

These statements angered a number of Saudi social media pioneers, and they recalled the late Prince Saud Al-Faisal's dealings with her when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs when he hung up the phone during a call between them when she was talking.

Fahd Al-Atawi Al-Otaibi's account wrote, talking to Hillary Clinton by saying: "Do not blame the Biden administration's mistakes on Saudi Arabia, for he is the one who bears the tragedy that you are suffering from. He rose a little from the street style, it did not and will not work for us."

Kuwaiti journalist Musaed Al-Mughnim tweeted: "For your information, Hillary sought and worked to divide many Arab countries and her blatant interference in Bahrain. I think she still suffers from Monica Lewinsky syndrome!", referring to the treason scandal that her husband Bill Clinton was involved in in 1998.

A turning point in US-Saudi relations

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Saudi Arabia has demonstrated a position contrary to what was adopted by Washington and its allies, and although the Kingdom was among those who voted in favor of the UN resolution condemning the Russian attack, it chose not to engage in sanctions against Putin, and even maintained its agreements with Moscow within the framework of "OPEC +". to keep oil production levels low.

On the other hand, this agreement, led by Russia and Saudi Arabia, hurts Washington, which is experiencing unprecedented inflation in fuel prices. It also hinders the West's efforts to curb the Russian attack on Ukraine.

On the other hand, this stage has resulted in an accelerated rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and China, which has been emerging for months between them. It was recently expressed by Riyadh's invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit it officially, and to prepare a festive reception for him similar to the one with which it received Trump in 2016, according to media reports. In addition to what the "Wall Street Journal" revealed in a report , that Riyadh is holding consultations with China to price some of its oil exports in yuan, in a move that is expected to affect the dollar's sovereignty in global oil markets, and is an indication that the world's largest exporter of crude is heading towards Asia .

These consultations come in line with Beijing’s historical efforts to push its currency to replace the dollar in the global market for the black gold trade. In 2018, China highlighted its currency, the yuan, in oil contracts, but its efforts did not succeed in curbing the dollar’s ​​supremacy in global markets, as a high-ranking US official considered, in A statement to "The Wall Street Journal", that it is a "very volatile and aggressive" idea.