Washington: US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken apologized to Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, the effective ruler of his country, last month for the slow US response to Houthi attacks against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in January, Axios reported.
The UAE were disappointed by what they saw as a weak and slow US response to the attacks, while the Biden administration was subsequently disappointed by the UAE’s response to Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, the report said on Wednesday.
However, Blinken’s apology helped to ease those tensions, the report also said.
According to sources speaking to Axios on condition of anonymity, Blinken admitted that the Biden administration took too long to respond to the attacks and said he was sorry, the report added.
Bin Zayed is also deputy commander of the UAE armed forces and the de facto ruler of Abu Dhabi, according to reports.Â
