Boris Johnson Defends Saudi Arabia Visit Amid Row Over Human Rights Abuses
Boris Johnson has defended visiting Saudi Arabia, arguing there needs to be the “widest possible coalition” against Vladimir Putin.
The prime minister will travel to the Gulf state on Tuesday in an attempt to persuade it to increase oil production in an attempt to bring down global prices and reduce the west’s reliance on Russian energy.
Johnson is set to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit, which comes after Saudi Arabia executed 81 people in one day at the weekend.
The United Nations said many had been taking part in anti-government protests.
Mohammed bin Salman has also been accused by the United States of approving the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, something the crown prince has denied.
Speaking to broadcasters in London on Tuesday, Johnson was pressed on whether it was appropriate to be dealing with “repressive” and “unpleasant” regimes.
“We need to make sure that we build the strongest, widest possible coalition to ensure that Vladimir Putin does not succeed,” he said.
“It’s vital – if we are going to stand up to Putin’s bullying, if we are going to avoid being blackmailed by Putin in the way that so many western countries sadly have been, we have got to get ourselves off Russian hydrocarbons.”
He said that meant “we need to talk to other producers around the world about how we can move away form that dependency”.
Johnson added the government had to deal with spike in oil and gas prices being felt by people in the UK “in any way that we can”.
“What we need to do is build long-term security of energy supply in this country,” he said.
Earlier, the government announced it was hitting 370 more Russian individuals and entities with sanctions.
