Senator Wants to Redirect Saudi-Bound Missiles to Ukraine After OPEC Cut

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy has proposed transferring U.S. weapons slated for Saudi Arabia to Ukraine in the wake of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) decision to cut oil production.

In a series of tweets, the senator from Connecticut said that "there are two practical, immediate changes the U.S. can make to Saudi policy that will have a near term impact on the war in Ukraine."

That includes halting future arms sales to Saudi Arabia, as well as moving Patriot missile batteries currently in Saudi Arabia to either Ukraine or to NATO partners.

"We should also take swift steps in the near term that will provide immediate help to Ukraine and our allies in eastern Europe," Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement. "The U.S. should suspend the sale of Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) to Saudi Arabia and repurpose these missiles to Ukraine, which could use them with the newly provided National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) to protect its territory and population from Russia's criminal bombardments."

The U.S. is scheduled to deliver 280 AMRAAMs to Saudi Arabia that should instead be sent to Ukraine, he said.

Murphy was previously vocal about President Joe Biden's trip to Saudi Arabia in July, which included negotiations for increased oil production.

"The establishment will argue that if the United States were to recalibrate its relationship with Riyadh, Saudi Arabia might cut off oil deliveries or more openly align itself with China or Russia," Murphy wrote in an op-ed in Foreign Policy. "But neither would be in Saudi Arabia's interest. The country still needs our oil markets."

In an appearance earlier this week on CNN's State of the Union with Jake Tapper, Murphy said he believes the U.S. needs to "rethink" arms sales while lifting the exemption given to the energy cartel from price fixing liability.

Troop presence in the region should also be reconsidered, he added, which mirrors language from Democrats in the House.

"I mean, listen, for years, we have looked the other way as Saudi Arabia has chopped up journalists, has engaged in massive political repression," Murphy told Tapper. "For one reason—we wanted to know that when the chips were down, when there was a global crisis, that the Saudis would choose us instead of Russia.

"Well, they didn't. They chose Russia. They chose to back up the Russians, drive up oil prices, which could have the potential to fracture our Ukraine coalition, and there's got to be consequences for that," Murphy added.

Bilal Saab, senior fellow and director of the Defense and Security Program at the Middle East Institute, told Newsweek that Murphy's suggestion is shortsighted.

"If we withdraw U.S. air and missile defense assets from Saudi Arabia, we automatically make our military presence there more vulnerable to Iranian missile and drone attacks," Saab said. "This would hurt us more than it would hurt Saudi Arabia. The potential removal of such assets would have political ramifications more than anything else."

In the wake of recent Russian attacks against Kyiv and energy infrastructure, Ukrainian officials have pleaded for more artillery from the U.S., including another 32 HIMARS mobile rocket launchers, modern tanks and air defense systems.

Biden has pledged "to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself," though the White House has not been specific on what could be provided and when.

Newsweek reached out to Murphy for comment.