US apologizes to UAE due to Ukraine

Secretary of State Antony Blinken apologized to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last month for the US response to attacks on the emirates from Yemen’s Houthi rebels, according to a report published Wednesday, Report informs, citing foreign media.

Blinken issued the mea culpa to Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan during a meeting last month in Morocco, the Axios news website reported.

The UAE had been frustrated about the US response to Houthi attacks just as Washington has been vexed by Abu Dhabi’s response to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Washington has been pushing allies, including long-standing partners in the Gulf, to adopt a hard line against Russia’s aggression. But the emirates and other Gulf Arab allies, including Saudi Arabia, have maintained a neutral.

The Emirates abstained from a Security Council vote in February condemning Russia’s assault. It also abstained from last week’s UN General Assembly vote that booted Russia from the Human Rights Council.

Blinken told bin Zayed that the Biden administration took too long to respond to the Houthi attacks on the emirates, and apologized, Axios reported.