Washington was outraged by the "October surprise" of Saudi Arabia - the reduction of oil production by OPEC+ countries, writes the New York Times.
According to American dignitaries cited by the publication, during the Middle East tour, US President Joe Biden and Prince Mohammed bin Salman allegedly entered into a secret deal to increase oil production.
“Details of the oil deal were not disclosed, but it was supposed to lead to a surge in oil production from September to December, but Mohammed bin Salman deceived the Biden administration. It is difficult to understand why everything went awry,” the publication says.
According to the authors of the article, this episode was a telling example of how Saudi Arabia seeks to get rid of its long-standing dependence on the United States.
Some White House officials believe Moscow persuaded Riyadh to change course because the Saudi prince has very strong ties to Russian leader Vladimir Putin.