The US has accused Saudi Arabia of siding with Russia after it led OPEC+ in a shock decision to slash crude output, keeping oil prices high at a time of global concern about inflation. The world’s largest oil exporter insists the decision was about economics, not politics.
The move marks a significant moment in the more than 70-year alliance between Saudi Arabia and the US. The output cut came less than three months after President Joe Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia seeking more production to help lower prices.