Foreign Affairs has a new article describing the behavior of Saudi Arabia in the oil market. The article is right in that Saudi Arabia has to prepare for a possible boycott on purchasing Russian oil by the Western economies. The notion that any bargain with the current government in Russia will be kept by anyone but China, which has the military power to keep the Putin regime on the straight and narrow, strikes me as far-fetched. The article is also correct (or it certainly seems that way) in arguing that Saudi Arabia would have a difficult time replacing arms sales and military agreements with the U.S. Iran remains an enemy of the Saudi regime, and for Iran to act as a proxy for Russia in Ukraine, but for Russia to somehow hold back Iran in the Persian Gulf, when missile strikes and other violent actions would increase the price of oil and provide immediate aid to the Russian regime, seems a bit off. But people should read this and decide for themselves. Â
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