Putin and Saudi crown prince discuss bilateral ties and oil

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman on Saturday, their second call since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Saudi Press Agency said the two discussed bilateral relations and "ways of enhancing them in all fields."

The Saudi readout of the call said the crown prince affirmed support for efforts that would lead to a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine. The kingdom recently announced $10 million in humanitarian aid for Ukrainian refugees.

The Kremlin's statement added the two also discussed the ongoing conflict in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition has been at war for years, as well as their joint work on an oil output agreement, known as OPEC+. The oil pact has kept a cautious lid on production by major producers, supporting oil prices.

Ukraine has urged nations around the world to cut their dependency on Russian oil imports that it says finance Russia's military war on Ukraine.