UAE has stopped buying F-35s to show Washington's "growing discontent"

 

 The United Arab Emirates has stopped a multibillion-dollar deal to buy US F-35 fighters. Thus, the oil-rich Gulf country has shown "growing dissatisfaction" with Washington's attempts to limit its access to Chinese technology, writes CNN.

"The UAE has informed the United States that it will suspend negotiations on the acquisition of the F-35," an Emirati official told the channel. "Technical requirements, government operational constraints and cost-benefit analysis have led to a reassessment (of the transaction)."

 "The UAE and the United States are working to build an understanding on bilateral security conditions for the acquisition," the source added. "The United States remains the preferred provider of advanced defense technology for the UAE, and discussions on the F-35 may resume in the future."

 The White House continues to support the deal, which is seen as a cornerstone of last year's agreement to normalize diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel, the State Department said. Since then, the potential sale has raised serious concerns among many politicians in the United States, as it suggested the first-ever transfer of state-of-the-art American weapons to an Arab state.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Washington was ready to work with Abu Dhabi to address concerns on both sides. "The US partnership with the UAE is more strategically important and complex than any arms sale," he said.

 "The F-35 is the pride of the United States, our Air Force, and therefore we must be able to protect the technological security of all our partners," Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Regional Security Mira Reznik told CNN. She confirmed that Washington is talking to representatives of the Emirates about the choice between American fighters and Huawei.

 But the UAE authorities are skeptical of US allegations of potential security breaches. They fear they could be embroiled in a confrontation between their leading trading partner, China, and its main strategic ally, the United States.

"We are really concerned about the thin line that separates the intense competition (between China and the United States) and the new Cold War," said Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE leadership. "Because I think this will have a negative effect on us as a small country, but we will not be able to influence the rivalry in any way."

 Gargash also confirmed reports that the UAE had shut down a Chinese facility on US suspicions that it was being used for military purposes. The decision was made despite the fact that Abu Dhabi did not agree with Washington's assessment.

"The United States had its concerns, we took them into account and stopped working on these facilities. But our position remains the same: these facilities were not actually used for military purposes, "Gargash added. "But on the other hand, if your main ally has any concerns, it would be foolish to ignore them."