The United Arab Emirates is negotiating more favorable prices for new American weapons. Yesterday, December 14, the portal military.com He reported that the UAE announced the freezing of negotiations on a deal worth $ 23 billion. In the US, this is considered a typical ploy on the eve of negotiations.
The UAE intends to purchase 50 F-35 fighter jets, 18 drones and a large number of bombs and missiles. The deal was approved by Donald Trump, but after Joseph Biden came to power in the United States, the negotiation process hardly progressed. At the same time, the UAE announced the freezing of negotiations just a few days before the official meeting of the governments of both countries.
F-35 fighter jet
Image source: defence-blog.com
UAE officials said that the United States insists on restrictions on how and where the F-35 can be used, and believes that this is a violation of the country's sovereignty. The American side counters this position — according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, the US requirements for the use of American-made military equipment are "universal, non-negotiable and do not apply exclusively to the UAE."
A representative of the US Department of Defense on condition of anonymity said military.com that the UAE's tactics are a typical ploy to improve its position in negotiations. If the deal goes through, the UAE will become the second country in the Middle East armed with stealth aircraft after Israel. Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the package, which is estimated at $23.37 billion, includes up to 50 F-35 fighter jets worth $10.4 billion, 18 MQ-9B drones worth $2.97 billion and weapons for them worth up to $10 billion.
