Fuel price hikes driven by Putin’s Ukraine invasion are at the heart of the US inflation problem, which is at the heart of Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia. His first stop in the Mideast is in Israel where he opened “by declaring a ‘bone deep’ bond between the United States and Israel and pledging to strengthen economic connections between the two countries going forward.” Imagine going a diplomatic trip and having Israel and peace in Middle East be the least complicated task on your to-do list.