On Friday, he sought a re-establishment of relations with the Saudis while looking for ways to reduce high gasoline prices in the U.S., which have contributed to a significant drop in Biden approval ratings.
Biden’s punch with MBS indicates a re-establishment of US-Saudi relationship and provokes fierce criticism
Prior to his departure to the Middle East, administration officials had told CNN that they sought a full re-establishment of the US-Saudi relationship after years of tension following Khashoggi’s assassination. A punch in front of the cameras between Biden and the Crown Prince perfectly symbolized that moment. Meetings in Jeddah seemed to largely accompany the planned re-establishment of the US relationship with the kingdom, and Biden announced several new areas of cooperation aimed at reshaping US-Saudi relations. But images of Biden’s seemingly beautiful interactions with the Crown Prince drew more attention.
The president was fiercely criticized, even by his fellow Democrats, for hitting MBS during his first in-person interaction in Jeddah. Critics argued that the punch helped rehabilitate the 36-year-old leader’s reputation on the world stage just over a year after the United States downgraded an intelligence report concluding that he personally ordered the brutal assassination of Khashoggi, a charge the Crown Prince denied at his meeting. , said Biden.
Images of the punch were quickly promoted by the Saudi government, even on Saudi state television. Washington Post editor Fred Ryan said Biden’s punch was “shameful” because it “projected a level of intimacy and comfort that offers MBS the unwarranted redemption it desperately sought.”
Before the trip there was much speculation as to whether Biden would shake hands with the Crown Prince, especially when the White House said the president would seek to reduce contact with others amid the spread of a transmissible subvariant of Covid’s omicron variant. 19.
Biden talks about Khashoggi’s assassination with MBS and emphasizes US support for human rights
Hours after being criticized for the punch, the president appeared before the mobile press to say he had raised the assassination of Khashoggi directly with Crown Prince Mohammed.
Biden said he was “direct and direct” with MBS, adding that he indicated to the Crown Prince that he believed he was responsible for Khashoggi’s assassination. A day earlier, while in Israel, Biden had stopped before confirming that he planned to raise Khashoggi’s death with the Crown Prince, instead of insisting that he “always” talked about human rights and that his views on the murder had been done “absolutely.” clear.
The president reiterated that point on Friday.
“That an American president is silent on the issue of human rights is incompatible with who we are and who I am. I will always stand up for our values,” Biden told reporters.
On Saturday, while making statements to the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as the leaders of Egypt, Iraq and Jordan, the president again touched on human rights as he sat down alongside Crown Prince Mohammed, and described the values enshrined in the UN charter as “fundamental.” who we are as Americans ”and encouraging leaders gathered to allow more rights for women and the press.
“I’ve received a lot of criticism over the years. It’s not fun. But the ability to speak openly, exchange ideas freely is what unlocks innovation,” Biden said.
Biden leaves Saudi Arabia without any public promise to increase oil production, but hints at private guarantees
Biden arrived in Jeddah looking for solutions to one of his main political problems at home: high gasoline prices, as diplomacy with the kingdom and other allies in the Middle East was seen as one of the few routes he could take. to relieve pain. the bomb. But the trip did not produce any immediate announcement about the increase in oil production.
The trip came amid high gas prices and widespread inflation in the US and around the world, in part due to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine since February. . High gasoline prices and groceries in the U.S. are putting stress on millions of Americans and represent a major political responsibility for Biden’s Democratic Party in this year’s midterm elections.
While gas prices have been falling in recent weeks, high prices have become a thorn in Biden’s side. White House officials said before the Saudi stage of the trip that they did not expect to leave with promises of increased oil production, and that this prediction came true when Biden left the kingdom on Saturday.
However, the president made an optimistic note that regional leaders would soon take action, as the next OPEC meeting will take place in early August.
“From our discussions today, I hope we will see more steps in the coming weeks,” Biden said Friday after hours of meetings with the Saudi leadership.
The president is trying to reassure allies that the U.S. is committed to the Middle East
Biden sought to reaffirm U.S. leadership in the Middle East during the GCC + 3 summit on Saturday with key leaders in the region and vowed that his administration would remain actively engaged amid fears that China and Russia could quickly fill. a leadership gap.
The president’s foreign policy approach since his inauguration has largely counteracted China’s growing geopolitical influence and Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has raised questions about the scope of Biden’s commitment. with the commitment to the Middle East.
“The United States is invested in building a positive future in the region in collaboration with all of you, and the United States will not go anywhere,” Biden said at the meeting with GCC + 3.
The summit came almost a year after the U.S. withdrew all military troops from Afghanistan and ended 20 years of war in the country. Biden also noted that his visit to the Middle East was the first time since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that a U.S. president visited the region without U.S. troops being involved in fighting. in the area, although US forces continue to conduct operations in Syria. .
Biden has been pressured to do more to counter Iran in the region and work out a coordinated strategy among allies, and on Saturday pledged that the United States will play a major role in the Middle East for years to come.
“Let me state clearly that the United States will continue to be an active and committed partner in the Middle East,” he said.
The White House issued a joint statement later Saturday in which it said all participants in the meeting “affirmed their willingness to continue to hold the summit between the U.S. and the GCC annually.”
Biden seeks diplomacy to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon despite Israeli skepticism
Biden has pushed for a resurgence of the nuclear deal with Iran, from which former President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. in 2018, as he faces growing pressure from key Middle East allies to draw up a plan. to contain Iran. But it looks like hopes are dashed that an agreement will materialize, and the president acknowledged that the U.S. “will not wait forever” for a response from the Iranian leadership.
“I continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve this result,” Biden told a news conference Thursday. “We will continue to work with Israel to counter other threats from Iran throughout the region, including support for terrorism and the ongoing ballistic missile program and the proliferation of weapons on terrorists and proxies such as Hezbollah.”
Alongside Biden at that press conference was Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who despised another nuclear deal as a means of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
“Words will not stop them, Mr. President. Diplomacy will not stop them. The only thing that will stop Iran is knowing that if they continue to develop their nuclear program, the free world will use force. The only way to stop them is to stop them. it is to put a credible military threat on the table, “Lapid said.
Iran was a major topic of discussion during the bilateral meeting of Biden and Lapid on Thursday, and the two leaders signed a new joint statement aimed at broadening the security relationship between their nations and countering what they are describe as Iran’s efforts to destabilize the region. The president reiterated the U.S.’s “firm commitment” to Israel’s security.