Gulf Today, Staff Report
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in the UAE on Wednesday as part of his tour in the region.
Upon his arrival at the Presidential Flight in Abu Dhabi, Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to UAE President, and a number of officials received Johnson.
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Johnson began lobbying Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to pump more oil to calm markets roiled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine as he met the Gulf states' leadership on Wednesday.
Boris Johnson arrives for a media interview at the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi. AFP
Johnson arrived in Abu Dhabi for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed and was then due to fly to Riyadh as the West seeks to end its dependency on Russian oil following the invasion of Ukraine.
Johnson will also meet Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as he becomes one of the few Western leaders to visit Riyadh.
"It's not just a question of looking at the OPEC countries and what they can do to increase supply, though that is important," Johnson told British media.
"When we look at the dependency the West in particular has built up on Putin's hydrocarbons, on Putin's oil and gas, we can see what a mistake that was because he's been able to blackmail the West."