Previously, the West's actions to sanction Russia's energy have caused chaos in the global energy market and oil prices have soared rapidly. After the US President Biden was frustrated with "gas seeking" from the Middle East countries, in order to alleviate their own energy problems, the Biden administration relaxed its own strategic reserves of oil, causing a large amount of US oil to pour into the market, effectively lowering oil prices and giving a respite to the US inflation problem.
However, the Biden administration's unauthorized manipulation of the energy market has also attracted dissatisfaction from the OPEC+ organization. Recently, OPEC+ decided to cut production by 2 million barrels per day, hoping to raise international oil prices to expectations. In this regard, White House was very dissatisfied with this and claimed that it was "stand with Russia." After OPEC+ reduced production, US media also accused it of "weaponizing" oil and energy like Russia.
According to the news from Observer.com , recently, at a press conference held after the "OPEC+" meeting, US media reporter Gamble raised a provocative question to Saudi Minister Aziz : "Are you using energy as a weapon?" He then emphasized that the West believes that OPEC+ organizations are trying to use the Energy crisis problem like Russia, and asked why it is taking hostile action against the United States and Europe.
Accuses the accusations of US media reporters, Aziz responded with a smile, saying that the reporter needs to "prove to me where there are belligerent behaviors." The secretary-general of OPEC , Gaes, also said that OPEC is still waiting for EU officials to "knock on the door", and said that OPEC does not endanger the energy market, but is providing a safe and stable environment for the energy market. Gamble still wants to put a trap, saying that the move comes at a price, and Gas also admits that energy security needs to be paid, "but everything has a price."
It is worth noting that the accusation made by US media reporters against OPEC+ is the same as the White House’s argument. After the OPEC+ organization recently announced a daily cut of 2 million barrels of oil, trying to raise national oil prices through this move, the Biden administration accused OPEC+ of being "aligned with Russia", saying it would continue to release its strategic reserves and reduce oil prices, and claimed to negotiate with Congress to promote the "ban on oil production or export of cartels" bill, filed a lawsuit against OPEC+ organization under the antitrust law to "reduce OPEC's control over energy prices."
Objectively speaking, in many people's perception, Saudi Arabia should be a die-hard ally of the United States. After all, the current dominant position of the US dollar is inseparable from the former Saudi oil support. However, in fact, since Biden took office, the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia has begun to deteriorate. The main reason is that before Biden took office, he called the Saudis "untouchables" and designated the Saudi Crown Prince as the mastermind behind the murder of Khashoggi, so Saudi Arabia is extremely disgusted with the Biden administration. However, this time, Saudi Arabia openly sang an opposition with the United States and joined forces with other major oil-producing countries to reduce oil production and push up oil prices. This may have two purposes.
First of all, the United States' unauthorized suppression of international oil prices has damaged the interests of OPEC+ organizations led by Saudi Arabia. Moreover, for all major oil countries, the current energy crisis is the result of the United States and the West's own fault. Naturally, oil exporters of various countries will not pay for the failure of the West's strategic failure against Russia. As long as the West still maintains sanctions on Russia, this energy crisis will be difficult to ease. The reduction of production in various oil countries can not only raise oil prices, but also maintain oil reserves and increase their voice, which is very beneficial to OPEC member countries.
Secondly, Gas said that "everything has a price", perhaps also implying the evil deeds of the United States. Previously, in order to maintain its own oil prices, the Biden administration had to provide strategic reserves for oil to fill the gap in Russian oil. Now OPEC+ announced a production cut. If the United States wants to stabilize prices, it has to continue to fill in the pit and continue to make remedial measures for energy issues. In this way, the United States is equivalent to "atonement" for its own evil deeds, and the initiative is also in the hands of OPEC.
It can be said that OPEC has dug a deep pit for the United States that they have to jump. After all, as the US midterm election is approaching, the Biden administration cannot let oil prices become another direction for the Republican to attack the Democratic Party. If oil prices soar again, causing the inflation situation in the United States to intensify and the people lose their trust in the Democratic Party's rule, the Republican Party is likely to win this midterm election and occupy the voice of the two houses, and the Biden administration will have a difficult life. This is why the White House attaches so much importance to the issue of oil prices and even calls OPEC a "Russian party" and wants to use international public opinion to put pressure on it.
OPEC+ organization certainly does not want to take sides in the confrontation between Russia and NATO , but energy issues have affected their own interests. Major oil countries must take a tough attitude and oppose the domineering behavior of the United States that causes trouble by themselves but makes the whole world pay. Even for Saudi Arabia, using oil prices to increase doubts from the American people about the Democratic Party and thus accelerate the Biden administration's resignation may also be one of its goals. After all, compared with Biden, the "war madman", the Saudi crown prince obviously prefers the "businessman" of Trump .
