Congressional Democrats seek to block arms sales to the UAE.
As Trump travels to the region, Democrats in the US Congress have sought to block arms sales to the Gulf country over the UAE’s involvement in Sudan’s civil war and concerns about cryptocurrency ties.
The effort by Democrats in the US Congress came on the same day that US President Donald Trump announced new $200 billion in contracts with the UAE, according to ISNA.
According to Reuters, Democratic congressmen Chris Murphy, Chris von Hollen, Brian Schatz, and Tim Kaine, and independent Bernie Sanders, introduced opposition resolutions in the Senate that would block the three weapons sales to the UAE.
Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sarah Jacobs, the top Democrat on the House Africa Subcommittee, introduced opposition resolutions in the House.
The senators cited concerns raised about the UAE arming Sudan’s Rapid Reaction Force militias in the Sudanese civil war. The UAE has repeatedly denied such allegations.
They also pointed to the announcement by MGX, an investment firm backed by the UAE, that it would use a stablecoin launched by Trump’s cryptocurrency investment firm World Liberty Financial to invest $2 billion in cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
The US House of Representatives members also said that the Trump administration had decided to proceed with the arms sale to the UAE despite Gregory Meeks’ opposition to such deals due to his concerns about the conflict in Sudan.
Meeks and Jacobs said in a statement that the Trump administration’s final bypass of Congress was irresponsible and would further embolden the UAE to violate the UN arms embargo in Darfur and continue its support for the Rapid Reaction Forces and the killing of innocent civilians.
US law requires congressional review of major arms deals and allows members of the Senate to vote on opposing resolutions that would block the sale. Although the law does not allow members of Congress to impose such votes, the resolutions must pass Congress and potentially survive a presidential veto to take effect.
Among the weapons listed in the resolutions and slated for sale to the UAE are $1.32 billion in helicopters and equipment, $130 million for parts and accessories for F-16 aircraft, and $150 million for parts, logistics, and support for Apache, Black Hawk, and Chinook aircraft.