WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th February, 2022) US Coordinator for the middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk and State Department Special Envoy for Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein met with Saudi officials in Riyadh this week to discuss global energy security concerns with respect to supply disruptions that may occur if the Ukraine situation escalates, National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said.
"In Saudi Arabia, State Department Special Envoy for Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein joined Mr. McGurk to discuss a collaborative approach to managing potential market pressures stemming from a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine," Horne said in a press release on Thursday.
Tensions around Ukraine escalated in recent months, with the United States and the European Union raising concerns over Russian military buildup at the border with Ukraine and NATO allies boosting military support for Kiev.
Russia has repeatedly dismissed allegations of intending to attack any country, including Ukraine, and has warned NATO's plans to expand further eastward poses a direct threat to its national security while hampering efforts toward peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis.
US media reported earlier that the United States and its European partners have a sanctions package ready to impose on Russia should a military escalation occur in Ukraine.
These anti-Russia sanctions would target major Russian banks but would not target the country's energy sector or kick off Russia from the SWIFT financial system, according to the reports.
