LIZ Truss has defended the UK’s close links with Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of mass executions, explaining “we won’t necessarily agree with our partners on everything”.

Boris Johnson is visiting the kingdom this week, just days after officials confirmed 81 people had been executed – one of its largest mass executions in recent history.

The Prime Minister is expected to urge Saudi leaders to ramp up oil production to offset price hikes in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Truss, the UK’s Foreign Secretary, justified having friendly talks with Saudi leaders by citing global security concerns.

She insisted the Government will need to work with countries “we don’t necessarily agree with” in the face of Russian aggression.

Truss, asked if the UK was prepared to turn a blind eye to human rights concerns in Riyadh due to a desire for cheaper oil, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’m not condoning every action by the Saudi government. What I’m saying, though, is we are facing such a serious threat from Vladimir Putin – a threat we didn’t take seriously enough in 2008 and 2014 – that we need to throw everything at it.

“We need to be prepared to work with countries we don’t necessarily agree with because this is a threat to global security in a way that no other country poses that level of threat.”

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The Foreign Secretary said the Russian president poses a “serious threat to the global order” and “an incredibly serious threat to European security”, and argued “we cannot afford to simply rule out countries because we don’t like a particular policy”.

Asked on BBC Breakfast if the UK should even be in talks with a regime that recently executed 81 people, Truss replied: “I don’t condone the policies of Saudi Arabia. But we have to be clear that we facing a serious threat not just to European security but to global security in Vladimir Putin and his appalling behaviour.

“If we don’t make sure Vladimir Putin loses in Ukraine the likelihood is that he will go further. We have to stop him at all costs. We have to work with all partners across the world.

“We won’t necessarily agree with all those partners on everything but it’s so important that we stop Vladimir Putin. He is the real threat the world faces."

Johnson defended trying to forge closer ties with Saudi Arabia as he tries to wean the West off Russian fossil fuels.

Asked about working with a regime with such a questionable human rights record, the Prime Minister said: “I’ve raised all those issues many, many times… since I was foreign secretary and beyond and I’ll raise them all again today.

“But we have long, long standing relationships with this part of the world and we need to recognise the very important relationship that we have.”

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He pointed towards Saudi Arabia announcing a £1 billion investment in green aviation fuel in Teesside.

“That’s the kind of thing we want to encourage – doesn’t in any way mean we can’t stick to our principles and raise those issues that we all care about.”

Labour’s Tulip Siddiq said the UK going “cap in hand from dictator to dictator is not an energy strategy”.

Asked if it is right that the UK looks to Saudi Arabia for oil, the MP told LBC’s Nick Ferrari: “We need to get people’s energy bills down and we’re not going to oppose something that does that. But I would say, Nick, going cap in hand from dictator to dictator is not an energy strategy.

“We’re 12 years into a Conservative government. We’re left exposed. We are reliant on other countries for our energy security. This is not in any way blaming market forces or the war. This is a failure, in my opinion, to act by successive prime ministers in the Conservative government.”