Menendez Says OPEC's Cut in Oil Production Will Help Russia's War Effort

Senator Bob Menendez has blasted the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies' decision to curtail oil supplies, saying it'll prop up Russian President Vladimir Putin's escalating invasion of Ukraine.

The New Jersey Democrat in a statement issued Monday criticized the agreement reached by the cartel of major oil producing countries last week to cut production by 2 million barrels a day beginning next month. Oil exports have been a lifeline for energy-rich Russia during its war against Ukraine. Following Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian cities Monday, Menendez has vowed to use his key Senate post to pressure Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally an influential member of OPEC.

"I am horrified by Russia's depraved and desperate escalation against civilian infrastructure across Ukraine — including in Kyiv," Menendez said in the statement. "I pledge to use all means at my disposal to accelerate support for the people of Ukraine and to starve Russia's war machine."

OPEC Plus, a 23-member alliance of oil-producing countries, agreed last week in Vienna, Austria, to drastically restrict supply, threatening to drive gas prices back up in the U.S. The alliance includes 13 core members of OPEC, as well as other major oil producers, including Russia.

The cut is the largest OPEC Plus has announced since 2020. Russia will not reduce any of its oil production and will instead benefit from higher prices caused by less supply, according to Oilprice.com. Most of the reduction in output will come from Saudi Arabia, according to the news outlet.

Rising gas prices are expected to be a headache for President Joe Biden ahead of next month's midterm elections. Biden, who has had a frosty relationship with Saudi Arabia, visited the kingdom in July in hopes of convincing its leaders to boost oil production.

Biden has called the cuts a "disappointment," and a group of congressional Democrats have called on the U.S. to block arms sales to Saudi Arabia in response to the cut.

Menendez said in his statement that the U.S. should take a more aggressive approach toward Saudi Arabia, "freezing all aspects of our cooperation" with the country, including arms sales and security cooperation "beyond what is absolutely necessary to defend U.S. personnel and interests."

Using his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez said he would not approve of any cooperation with Saudi Arabia until it "reassesses its position with respect to the war in Ukraine."

"There simply is no room to play both sides of this conflict – either you support the rest of the free world in trying to stop a war criminal from violently wiping off an entire country off of the map, or you support him," said Menendez. "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia chose the latter in a terrible decision driven by economic self-interest."

Newsweek reached out to OPEC and the Saudi embassy for comment.