Report: Saudi Arabia Leaders Declined To Take Calls From President Biden, Took Calls From Putin

Leaders in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) refused to take calls from President Biden regarding oil production, a new report indicates.

The snub, according to the Wall Street Journal, came in the midst of rising tensions in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The President was seeking to discuss oil production in an effort to ease soaring gas prices in the United States and much of the world.

“There was some expectation of a phone call, but it didn’t happen,” one official said regarding a call betwen Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “It was part of turning on the spigot [of Saudi oil].”

UAE’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan was also ‘unavailable’ to speak to Biden.

Leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates declined requests to speak to President Biden during the Ukraine crisis, officials say. They both took calls from Putin. https://t.co/McsybyBKw8

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) March 8, 2022

Biden Snubbed by Saudi Arabia, UAE

Biden has been desperately reaching out to Saudi Arabia and several other bad actors in an attempt to gain access to more oil.

Reports surfaced earlier this week that Biden’s advisors were considering a trip to Saudi Arabia to “convince the Kingdom to pump more oil.”

But they apparently couldn’t get them on the phone.

Aside from Saudi Arabia, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg suggested the administration is considering buying oil from Iran.

Buttigieg says buying oil from Iran (the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism) is “on the table” pic.twitter.com/l6n4eqTHTW

— Logan Ratick (@Logan_Ratick) March 3, 2022

Additionally, senior Biden administration officials traveled to Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, to enter discussions with the Maduro regime about oil production.

Russia has helped MADURO weather US sanctions by continuing to facilitate the Venezuelan oil trade.

Now, with the US considering sanctions on Russian oil, there are increasing backchannel conversations about tapping Venezuelan oil as a substitute. https://t.co/LSu8eclb8M

— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) March 5, 2022

Took Calls From Putin

Perhaps the kicker to the entire Wall Street Journal report is that, after having phone calls declined by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, leaders from both nations happily took phone calls from Vladimir Putin.

“Both Prince Mohammed and Sheikh Mohammed took phone calls from Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, after declining to speak with Mr. Biden,” the report claims.

Remember all that talk about the rest of the world finally respecting America again now that Biden is office? Now he’s calling them like a scorned teenage girlfriend, begging for a conversation.

And they’re not even answering.

America is back, baby!

So just in the last 24 hours:
-UAE / Saudi allies won’t speak to Biden, take calls from Putin
-Biden negotiators offer to lift IRGC FTO as it plots to assassinate former NSA
-Biden begs Venezuela for oil
-Biden halts Polish MiG-29 transfer to Ukraine

Absolute clown show. pic.twitter.com/LirAsch44s

— Rep. Peter Meijer (@RepMeijer) March 9, 2022

As Bloomberg reporter Jonathan Ferro points out, there’s another group of oil producers who just might actually take President Biden’s phone call.

“The issue, where the tension is so to speak, is why they haven’t just called domestic [energy] producers,” Ferro said.

Bloomberg’s Jonathan Ferro: Why hasn’t Biden “just called domestic [energy] producers?” pic.twitter.com/KPdzOZ54TL

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 4, 2022

Devon Energy Corp. CEO Rick Muncrief indicated he’d be willing to accept a phone call from President Biden about oil production.

“I’m a little mystified that there hasn’t been some dialog,” Muncrief said. “If they were to reach out and maybe be a little more collaborative, it might provide some cover.”

At this point, America is one of the only places Biden isn’t looking for more oil and gas.