U.S. officials met face-to-face with Venezuelan officials in Caracas over the weekend and discussed potentially easing oil sanctions on the country as part of the strategy to combat rising prices in the U.S. During Monday’s briefing, Psaki was asked about Venezuela’s leader and whether it was “really worth doing business with a despot like Nicolás Maduro to drive down gas prices.”
“I think that’s leaping several stages ahead in any process,” Psaki said, adding that oil was just one element of the discussions. “At this point in time, I don’t have anything to predict. It’s ongoing.”
Psaki said that while energy security was a key part of the meetings in Venezuela, U.S. officials also discussed the welfare of detained U.S. citizens. She had a similar message on negotiations in Saudi Arabia and Iran, noting that the talks were in progress and that energy was just one piece of the multipronged discussions.
In February, Brett McGurk, coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, and Amos Hochstein, a State Department special envoy for energy affairs, traveled to Saudi Arabia, where Psaki said the officials discussed a range of issues. She said Biden did not have plans at the moment to travel to the country.
“[They] went to Saudi Arabia to discuss a range of issues, including the war in Yemen, including security in the region and certainly including energy security,” Psaki said. “They had the discussion, it’s in everyone’s interest to reduce the impact on the global oil marketplace.”
Psaki said “the discussion of oil” was also a part of negotiations for the Iran nuclear talks, which she said were “getting closer” to a deal. But Moscow has thrown a wrench in the discussions, coming forward with last-minute demands, in what appears to be convenient timing as the threat to Russia’s critical oil revenue grows.
There was hope that the permanent five members of the United Nations Security Council, Germany and the European Union could clinch a deal on Saturday, which would heavily limit Iran’s ability to work on nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief — which would bring a vast supply of Iranian crude oil back to the global market.
The White House press secretary on Monday was repeatedly pressed on her answers, particularly after she noted that the Biden administration’s view was that the U.S. needed to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil to avoid future crises.
“So, you guys think that asking Saudi Arabia, or Venezuela, or Iran, is reducing our dependence on foreign oil?” Fox News’ Peter Doocy then asked.
“I just outlined each of those specific scenarios and the range of discussions that we’re having with each of those countries,” Psaki said. “I don’t think anybody is advocating for Iran to continue acquiring a nuclear weapon, perhaps except for the former president, who pulled us out of the deal.”