A bump and a miss: Saudi oil cut slaps down Biden’s outreach

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is effectively acknowledging the failure of one of his biggest foreign policy gambles: a fist-bump with the de-facto leader of Saudi Arabia, the crown prince associated with human rights abuses. Biden’s awkward encounter with Mohammed bin Salman in July was a humbling attempt to mend relations as the US. was seeking the kingdom’s help in opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting surge in oil prices. That fist bump was followed this week by a big oil production cut that threatens to drive inflation even higher and push gas prices back toward voter-angering levels just before U.S. midterms. Asked about Saudi Arabia’s action, Biden told reporters on Thursday it was “a disappointment.”