US and Saudi Arabia trade barbs on cutting oil production, Russia

RIYADH — The White House traded blame with Saudi Arabia on Thursday after the Biden administration threatened to retaliate to last week’s major oil production cut by Saudi-led OPEC and its counterparts. Russian-led allies, deepening Washington’s feud with a major Middle Eastern partner.

In an overnight statement, Saudi Arabia dismissed US allegations that it had sided with Russia in the war in Ukraine and reiterated that the decision to cut production by the known 23-member group under the name OPEC+ was motivated solely by economic considerations.