UK's Johnson to visit Saudi Arabia in bid to wean West off Russian oil

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to head to Saudi Arabia next week in a bid to find a replacement to Russian oil after sanctions were put on Moscow over its brutal invasion of Ukraine.

While in Riyadh, Johnson will speak with Saudi Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman, The Times reported on Saturday.

Johnson considers the West tearing itself away from Russian oil and gas to be most significant sanction on Moscow possible, according to The Times.

The premier believes it's possible to bypass Moscow and help cut rising prices in Britain if the Saudis and other Middle Eastern countries boost oil output, the report said.

Johnson's Saudi Arabia trip comes as bin Salman and de facto UAE ruler Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reportedly rebuffed talking with US President Joe Biden.

Saudi and UAE leaders were reportedly "not picking up" phone calls from Biden, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal earlier this week.

The snub came as both countries have bristled at US involvement in the Persian Gulf.

US gas prices have skyrocketed to record highs this week as Biden announced a ban on Russian oil imports.

Both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are part of OPEC, which supplied more than 11 percent of US oil imports in 2021.