Yousef Al-Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to Washington, said that the US decision regarding the temporary suspension of arms sales to the UAE and Saudi Arabia was expected.
The UAE Embassy in Washington released a statement on Wednesday regarding President Biden’s decision to review the F-35 sale to the UAE and ammunition to Saudi Arabia. Based on the statement, the decision of the new administration to review some policies, as in previous transition periods, was accepted as normal.
Ambassador Al-Otaiba expressed that the F-35 sale is not just a casual military purchase. By this, the UAE would be able to deter aggression in the region. Also, by virtue of the F-35 purchase, the UAE will be able to reduce the burden on the USA in ensuring security in the region, the ambassador emphasized. The intent of the UAE to work closely with the new US administration under President Biden was also highlighted.
The decision to freeze arms sales has been declared by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. He pointed out that this is because the ministry is carrying out a wide range of inspections of the deals worth billions of dollars, finalized in the Donald Trump era.
