The Government has been urged to call out Saudi Arabia over oil imports from Russia which “benefit Putin’s war machine.”
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, has doubled its imports of fuel oil from Russia in the last quarter.
Between April and June, the Kingdom imported 48,000 barrels per day of fuel oil from Russia.
Russia has been selling its oil for knock down prices after international sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine left it with fewer buyers - and Saudi has been using it for to feed power stations to meet summer cooling demand and free up the kingdom’s own crude for export.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom has so far resisted requests from both the United States and the UK to increase its own oil production to help bring global prices down.
Boris Johnson visited the Kingdom in March, but walked away empty handed.
And last month (JULY), Joe Biden famously fist-bumped Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a visit to Jeddah, but also left without reaching an agreement.
Layla Moran, the Lib Dems’ foreign affairs spokesperson urged the government to call out Saudi Arabia’s behaviour and stop “cosying up” to the “brutal regime.”
She said: ”Saudi Arabia is not only responsible for terrible human rights abuses at home, it’s now also ramping up the amount of Russian oil it’s buying - benefiting Putin’s war machine.”
In June, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who is running to replace Mr Johnson as Prime Minister, said it was “right” to forge closer links with Gulf states, and could not name a time she’d challenged Saudi officials over the state’s human rights record.
"We are not dealing with a perfect world," she told the Foreign Affairs Committee.
"We are dealing in a world where we have to make difficult decisions and I think it is right that we build that closer trading relationship with the Gulf states."
Ms Moran added: “Liz Truss continues to insist that Saudi Arabia should be part of a ‘network of liberty’.
“She needs to open her eyes to the reality, stop cosying up to this brutal regime, and start calling out this behaviour.”
A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said: “The UK’s relationship with Saudi Arabia covers a broad range of interests including national security and is built on longstanding connections and an understanding of frank engagement.
"We consistently raise human rights issues of concern - both publicly and privately - and will continue to do so.”
