Shouting Match Between Russian President Putin And Saudi Crown Prince Salman Is What Launched The Oil Price War

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin are said to have shouted at each other during the early March phone call (AFP/Reuters)

Middle East Eye: EXCLUSIVE: Saudis launched oil price war after 'MBS shouting match with Putin'

Saudi crown prince threatened Russian president over production cuts prior to flooding market. 'The call ended badly,' sources tell MEE

A telephone call last month between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman degenerated into a shouting match just before Riyadh decided to flood the market with oil in a move which sent prices spiralling.

Saudi officials with knowledge of the disastrous call told Middle East Eye that the row threatened to undo months of detente between the two countries, in which a significant arms trade was also agreed.

The call took place just before an Opec+ meeting on 6 March, in which major oil producers failed to agree a deal on cutting production despite falling global demand as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Just before that meeting there was a call between Putin and MBS. MBS was very aggressive and gave an ultimatum. He threatened that if there is no agreement, Saudi would start a price war.

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WNU editor: That must have been one hell of a shouting match.