Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is a “resolute young leader who deserves respect”, in light of the United States accusing Saudi Arabia of siding with Russia, following the “OPEC Plus” decision to reduce oil production.
“(The Crown Prince) is young, steadfast, of character … These are clear facts,” Putin said, adding that everyone should “respect” Prince Mohammed bin Salman and not be “rude” to him so that they don’t respond in the same way.
Putin’s comments came in response to a question about Russia’s relations with Saudi Arabia and the Crown Prince during the Russian president’s participation in the “Valdai Club” forum in Moscow.
Putin said the Saudi Crown Prince is “driven by national interests and the interests of rebalancing energy markets” when it comes to making decisions about reducing or increasing oil production, adding that Mohammed’s national principles and interests bin Salman are “perfectly balanced”.
Putin went on to praise Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s economic policies, stating that “predictability and stability are important to international energy markets … and that’s exactly what the crown prince is looking for.” Putin stressed that Moscow is working to strengthen its relations with Riyadh.
