The Saudi government on Wednesday reacted to a backlash in the US following the announcement that Opec+ would slash oil supply, saying the decision had been taken unanimously by the cartel and was not influenced by the kingdom’s stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In an extraordinarily detailed and unusual defence of the Opec+ cuts, the Saudi foreign ministry also appeared to suggest that the Biden administration had asked the kingdom to delay a plan to cut oil production by a month.
A delay would have reduced the impact of any increase in crude prices until after the US congressional midterm elections, with president Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers defending the party against attacks from Republicans over high inflation and petrol prices in particular.