Putin Rejects US-Saudi Proposal, Oil Vs Assad
Local Editor
The New York Times daily revealed Wednesday that "Saudi Arabia has been trying to pressure President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to abandon his support for President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, using its dominance of the global oil markets at a time when the Russian government is reeling from the effects of plummeting oil prices."
According to the daily, Saudi Arabia and Russia have had numerous discussions over the past several months that have yet to produce a significant breakthrough, according to American and Saudi officials.
The Saudi officials say - and they have told the United States - that they think they have some leverage over Putin because of their ability to reduce the supply of oil and possibly drive up prices.
"If oil can serve to bring peace in Syria, I don't see how Saudi Arabia would back away from trying to reach a deal," a Saudi diplomat claimed. An array of diplomatic, intelligence and political officials from the United States and the Middle East spoke on the condition of anonymity to adhere to protocols of diplomacy.
The famous US daily further mentioned that "Any weakening of Russian support for. Assad could be one of the first signs that the recent tumult in the oil market is having an impact on global statecraft."
Putin, however, has frequently demonstrated that he would rather accept economic hardship than buckle to outside pressures to change his policies. Sanctions imposed by the United States and European countries have not prompted Moscow to end its military involvement in Ukraine, and Putin has remained steadfast in his support for al-Assad.
Syria was a major topic for a Saudi delegation that went to Moscow in November, according to an Obama administration official, who said that there had been a steady dialogue between the two countries over the past several months. It is unclear what effect the Jan. 23 death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia might have on these discussions, which the Saudis have conducted in secret.
Russia has been one of the Syrian president's most steadfast supporters and supplying everything from spare parts and specialty fuels to sniper training and helicopter maintenance.
After the meeting in Moscow in November between Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, and Sergei V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, Lavrov rejected the idea that international politics should play a role in setting oil prices.
"We see eye to eye with our Saudi colleagues in that we believe the oil market should be based on the balance of supply and demand," Lavrov said, "and that it should be free of any attempts to influence it for political or geopolitical purposes."
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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