Washington presented to Riyadh data on the absence of grounds to reduce production

WASHINGTON, Oct 13 – PRIME The United States, in an attempt to dissuade Saudi Arabia from cutting oil production, presented it with analysis results showing that there are no market prerequisites for such a step, said John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator at the National Security Council.

He accused the Saudi authorities of forcing the rest of the OPEC + members to support a production cut of 2 million barrels against their will.

“We provided Saudi Arabia with an analysis that shows there is no market basis for cutting production targets and they could easily wait for the next OPEC meeting to see how things play out,” Kirby said in a statement.

“Other OPEC countries privately let us know that they also did not agree with the Saudi decision, but felt compelled to support the Saudi course,” the White House official added.

He reiterated that “in the light of such actions” the United States is reviewing its relationship with Saudi Arabia and continues to evaluate the kingdom’s approaches to “opposing Russian aggression.” Kirby said that Saudi Arabia was aware that the decision to cut oil production plays into the hands of Russia, “increasing its revenues and reducing the effectiveness of sanctions.”

Last week, the countries participating in the OPEC + deal, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, decided to reduce oil production by two million barrels per day, starting in November, extending the deal until the end of 2023, which caused discontent of the US administration, which demanded an increase in oil production. Earlier, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement that the OPEC + decision was dictated solely by economic considerations, and it was accepted by all countries participating in the deal, rejecting US accusations of supporting Russia with such a decision at a time when Western countries seek to reduce dependence on Russian energy resources.