British Prime Minister: The file of human rights in return for increasing oil production.
Johnson's classic method: pretending to solve problems by making a problem
LONDON - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson chose to follow in the footsteps of US President Joe Biden in dealing with Saudi Arabia over urging it to increase oil production by pressing the human rights file.
The Prime Minister moved to get out of the impasse in oil prices, and press reports indicated that Johnson would go to Saudi Arabia with a human rights file.
The irony is that Johnson is carrying the human rights file on his visit to Saudi Arabia, while he said on Thursday that Britain and its allies are seeking alternatives to Russian oil and gas, to avoid falling again as a victim of “blackmail” practiced by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Observers underestimate the chances of success of Johnson's strategy with Saudi Arabia, and they believe that these pressures will lead to a crisis similar to the one in Saudi-American relations, especially since Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had previously confirmed a few days ago that he does not care about Biden's position on him.
Johnson will put pressure on the Saudi crown prince to urge Riyadh to contribute to alleviating the impact of the sanctions imposed on Russia
In response to the question of The Atlantic, whether the Saudi crown prince wanted Joe Biden to know something he might not know about him? Mohammed bin Salman said: Simply? I don't care. He added that this matter is up to the American president, and it is up to him to think about America's interests, so let him do so.
Biden acted as a deliberate disregard for the Saudi crown prince. The White House said that the president would deal from now on with his Saudi "counterpart", that is, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and at the same time he was asking Saudi Arabia to increase oil production in order to control prices.
On Sunday, Britain defended its efforts to put pressure on Saudi Arabia to increase its oil production after Western consumers began to feel the repercussions of sanctions imposed on Russia, and after the kingdom executed a record number of prisoners.
Housing and Communities Minister Michael Gove did not deny reports published on Saturday by The Times newspaper that Prime Minister Boris Johnson would visit Saudi Arabia within days.
The newspaper reported that Johnson will put pressure on the Saudi crown prince to urge Riyadh to contribute to alleviating the repercussions of the sanctions imposed on Russia on Westerners against the backdrop of its invasion of Ukraine, after Britain and the United States announced a ban on Russian oil imports.
"We have to rely on (importing) oil from many countries whose human rights record we do not agree with," Gove said in a statement to "Sky News", after Saudi Arabia announced the execution of 81 prisoners in one day.
"Saudi Arabia is a security partner for the UK," Gove said. I think there are human rights concerns. We are clear on this.” But he added, "We also recognize that at a time when the world is facing a fragile situation, diplomacy and clarity on human rights are important."
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A spokesman for the British government, in contact with AFP, did not want to give any details about Johnson's travel dates for the coming days. On Tuesday, Johnson is scheduled to host a defense summit of northern European leaders.
The repercussions of the sanctions imposed on Russia have pushed the prices of gasoline and diesel fuel in Britain to record levels, exacerbating a living crisis faced by families with the high cost of heating.
And on Tuesday, the White House was forced to deny the authenticity of a report in the "Wall Street Journal" that the Saudi crown prince and the crown prince of Abu Dhabi refused to respond to a call by US President Joe Biden.
And The Times reported that Johnson is more able to put pressure on Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as he has maintained contact with him via WhatsApp despite the brutal murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
On Tuesday, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck launched an "urgent appeal" to the Saudi-led Organization of Petroleum Producing Countries "OPEC", asking it to increase its production to "comfort the market."
Crude oil prices rose at the beginning of weekly trading, on Monday, above $130 for a barrel of Brent, recording its highest level since 2008. The rise is driven by fears of the West imposing sanctions on Russian oil sales, in addition to the delay in reaching a solution on the Iranian nuclear deal.
The leaders of the first European economic power refuse to impose an embargo on Russian oil and gas essential for its own energy-related needs, and this is what Western countries, led by the United States, are demanding.
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