The Takeaway: Biden opens ‘new chapter’ with Middle East trip
Energy company touts oil for food for Syria; Ukraine’s ambassador in Turkey talks Russia; Iran’s unprecedented inflation; oil stoves make comeback in Lebanon; Sudanese civilians skeptical of moves by military leaders; and more.
What to watch in Biden’s Middle East trip
“A new and promising chapter.” The president who sought to pivot away from the Middle East arrived in Israel today for the first leg of a regional visit that also includes stops in the occupied West Bank and Saudi Arabia.
President Joe Biden’s planned visit to Saudi Arabia, where he will attend a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) +3 — the three being Egypt, Jordan and Iraq — has generated controversy over whether the benefits of reconciling with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whose country Biden referred to as a “global pariah” while running for president, outweigh the costs, especially if Saudi Arabia offers little in terms of energy production.
Biden attempted to quiet the critics in a Washington Post op-ed this past weekend, describing the goal of his Middle East trip as starting “a new and more promising chapter of America’s engagement” in a part of the world that is “essential to global trade and the supply chains we rely on.”
