Saudi crown prince snubbed Biden's request to discuss the oil crisis brought about by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, report says

• The US banned Russian energy imports on Tuesday and wants Saudi Arabia to increase oil production.
• Mohammed bin Salman reportedly rejected a recent request for a call with Biden to discuss Ukraine.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently rejected a request from the US to speak with President Joe Biden about the oil crisis brought about by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

"There was some expectation of a phone call, but it didn't happen," a US official told The Journal. "It was part of turning on the spigot [of Saudi oil]."

Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US imported a substantial amount of Russian-produced oil and gas, but Biden on Tuesday banned all Russian energy imports. In turn, President Vladimir Putin banned several Russian exports to the West.

US gas prices, which have risen in recent months, hit a new high on Tuesday.

The US and Europe are now hunting for alternative suppliers. One of those could be Saudi Arabia, a top oil producer.

But in February, a week before Russia invaded Ukraine, the Saudis declined a request from the US to increase production, as it could upset Russia, CNN reported. Saudi Arabia and Russia are members of the OPEC+ oil-producing alliance.

Axios reported on Sunday that Biden's advisors were discussing a visit to Saudi Arabia in the spring to convince the country to pump more oil.

MBS's snub of Biden's phone call is perhaps not surprising.

Since becoming president, Biden has made clear that he did not see the crown prince — the de facto ruler of the country — as an equal and that Saudi Arabia was a US partner, not an ally. Russia and Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, have strengthened ties.

On the campaign trail in 2020, Biden promised to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" over the murder of the Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi and the war in Yemen.

After Biden took office, the White House effectively demoted MBS to the rank of defense minister, and the two leaders have not spoken.

The news of the snub came in the wake of the publication of a rare interview with MBS in The Atlantic, in which the crown prince made clear his view of Biden and the US.

He said Biden's keeping Saudi Arabia at arm's length would only hurt the US, adding that it was up to Biden "to think about the interests of America."

When asked whether Biden misunderstood him, MBS said, "Simply, I do not care."

The Journal reported that Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the leader of the United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia's closest regional ally and a notable oil-producing nation — also declined the US's request to discuss the oil crisis.

After declining to speak with Biden, both MBS and Sheikh Mohammed held calls with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, The Journal reported.

Russian forces have seized or besieged several Ukrainian cities but are said to be facing stiff resistance in other areas of the country.

A Saudi official told The Journal the US had asked Saudi Arabia whether MBS could mediate in the conflict.

MBS said on Thursday that he was ready to help end the violence with a political solution, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Evidence suggests Putin and MBS are close personally; they were seen on camera at the 2018 G20 summit high-fiving and laughing.

Saudi Arabia has neither labeled Russia's incursion into Ukraine an "invasion" nor condemned it.