Boris Johnson disembarked in Riyadh. The British prime minister was on a mission to charm the leader of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman (known as MBS).

Johnson described talks as "very productive".

Saudi Arabia is the world's second-largest oil producer, pumping up to 12,402,761,040 barrels per day. The third-largest is Russia. 

Vladimir Putin has threatened to cut off oil and gas imports to the West. Biden and Johnson want Saudi Arabia to release more oil for Western countries.

Europe is dependent on Russia's natural gas. In 2020, European countries imported 186 billion cubic meters of gas - about 36% of Europe's total gas demand.

Turning to Saudi Arabia could be a solution. But it has come under criticism. Many have accused Johnson of condemning Russia's atrocities while ignoring Saudi Arabia's. Labour leader Keir Starmer said the PM was "going cap in hand from dictator to dictator".

Johnson insists he pressed the leader to alter Saudi Arabia's human rights record, adding that "things are changing". Critics argue there is little proof of this. Three people were executed in the country while he was visiting.

Saudi Arabia's record on human rights is arguably worse than Russia's. The Human Freedom IndexAn annual list published by several research institutes which seeks to compare how many freedoms and rights humans enjoy in different countries. puts it in 155th place, well beneath Russia's 126th. While Putin imprisons dissidents, Saudi Arabia flogsIn 2015, the blogger Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1,000 lashes of the whip for speaking out against Saudi authority. He has not been seen since., beheads and sometimes crucifies them. Last weekend, authorities carried out executions of 81 men.

MBS came to power after imprisoning, torturing and blackmailing 400 powerful Saudis in a hotel. He is believed to have ordered the brutal 2018 murder of journalist Jamal KhashoggiKhashoggi was murdered at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, Turkey, on October 2, 2018. It is widely agreed that he was assassinated by Saudi agents because of his opposition to the country's regime.. 

His army is fighting a devastating war in neighbouring Yemen, which the United Nations has called the "world's worst humanitarian disaster".

There is no doubt Saudi Arabia is a cruel regime. But according to UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, MBS does "not pose a threat to global security in the way that Vladimir Putin does". 

The Yemen War is localised. Saudi Arabia has not tried cyberattacks on neighbouring countries or to influence elections.

Perhaps the direction of travel is important. MBS inherited a conservative monarchy and has reduced censorship and widened women's rights. Putin came to power in a democratic election, he has tip-toed closer and closer to tyranny. 

Yes: No nation is entirely innocent. Many are corrupt and engage in war. But Putin's entirely unprovoked attack on Ukraine is another order of evil, which should be resisted whatever the cost.

No: Saudi Arabia may not tamper with the world's order as much as Russia. But it is much smaller and without nuclear weapons. If it had Russia's arsenal and extent, perhaps it would act more like it.

Or...? To call one country better than another is to call states moral agents, able to choose between good and evil actions. Countries are more like animals, run by instinct and self-preservation.