Saudi Interest in Joining BRICS Indicates US Becoming 'the Pariah Nation,' Senate Candidate Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Saudi Arabia's interest in becoming a member of the BRICS group indicates that the United States is becoming more isolated under the current administration, LaRouche independent Senate candidate Diane Sare told Sputnik.

Saudi Arabia's interest in joining the BRICS merely indicates that under the policies of this administration, the United States is becoming "the isolated nation, the pariah nation," Sare said.

Sare was apparently referring to US President Joe Biden's election campaign remarks, where he pledged to make Saudi Arabia "a pariah” following the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by rogue killers at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he supported Saudi Arabia’s possible accession to the BRICS group.

Following his visit to Saudi Arabia in October, President of South Africa Cyril Ramaposa said that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud had expressed desire to join the BRICS.

Earlier this month, the Saudi-led OPEC+ group announced it would slash oil production by 2 million barrels of crude oil a day due to declining demand caused by a slowing global economy.

In response to the decision, the United States said it would review its bilateral relationship with Saudi Arabia, but Riyadh underscored it did not aim to harm Washington, adding that it was solely based on economic forecasts.

"I don't think it's right for Biden to threaten Saudi Arabia given what we have been doing with our sanctions and the price of oil," she said. "The danger is that we do have the nuclear arsenal. I fear we have some people who have absolutely no conscience, who are prepared to unleash hideous destruction of people. That's why it's very urgent that we get off the trajectory that we are on."

Saudi Arabia's desire to have more than just a petroleum producing economy should be respected, she added.

Earlier in the month, OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said the decision to cut production was not politically motivated and not related to the confrontation between some countries, but came from assessments of high recession risks.

Sare is competing for the New York seat currently occupied by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. According to her campaign site, Sare is running against the interests of Wall Street and in support of a new world economic order.