President Joe Biden is recalibrating US diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia, implementing a new approach that includes bypassing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who had a close relationship with the Trump administration.
In a total reversal, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that Biden will work directly with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE REPEAL HOUTHIS TERROR DESIGNATION IN spite of the attack on the SAUDI AIRPORT
“We made it clear from the beginning that we are going to recalibrate our relationship with Saudi Arabia,” said Psaki on Tuesday.
But while the Biden government reevaluates the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia, Russia is working to expand its ties with the oil-rich Gulf nation.
President Vladimir Putin and the Crown Prince spoke of their continued coordination in stabilizing the oil and energy markets in a phone call on Monday, according to a Kremlin statement.
They also discussed strengthening their mutual cooperation in trade, investment and the economy, along with Saudi Arabia’s potential dependence on vaccines made in Russia to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden, who spoke to Putin, has not spoken to any nations in the Middle East since taking office in late January, including Israel.
While the White House says Israel should expect a call “soon”, the same cannot be said for Saudi Arabia.
“The president’s counterpart is King Salman and I hope that, at the appropriate time, he will have a conversation with him,” Psaki told reporters on Tuesday, adding that he could not confirm when the call would be made.
Biden’s adverse stance towards the Crown Prince is a change from the previous presidency.
PSAKI SAYS BIDEN WILL SPEAK TO NETANYAHU ‘SOON’ AFTER 3 WEEKS WITHOUT CALLING: ‘ISRAEL IS AN IMPORTANT ALLY’
Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia during his first trip abroad as president and did not anger the Arab nation after the assassination of Saudi-based and U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor, was killed in 2018 by Saudi security officials, although suspicious ties to Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MbS, did not affect President Trump’s relationship with the Crown Prince.
Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to Trump, maintained diplomatic relations with MbS – who is believed to be the successor to his 85-year-old father, King Salman – working with him during the government’s attempt to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
“This president … is not looking at the last presidency as a model for advancing his foreign policy,” Psaki told reporters on Tuesday.