Why Gulf states find it hard to turn on the oil spigot for Biden

For years, when prices at the pumps skyrocketed or an economic crisis loomed, American presidents knew just who to call.

Now with the Ukraine war sending oil prices to over $130 a barrel, and prospects of wider bans on Russian oil and gas threatening a global recession, Washington’s hotline to the world’s largest oil producers is suddenly going unanswered.

The reluctance of longtime U.S. ally Saudi Arabia to increase oil production is about more than economics, insiders and longtime observers say. It is a sign of changing perceptions of their U.S. relationship, the emergence of a multipolar world, and the consequences of a decadelong American pivot from the Middle East.

Rebuffed

President Joe Biden’s attempts to personally call Saudi and Emirati leaders to discuss oil production in recent days have been rebuffed, diplomatic sources and The Wall Street