2023-08-12 12:59:12
A newspaper report said,Wall Street JournalThe American News Agency, citing unidentified Egyptian and American officials, stated that Egypt “is resisting requests from the United States to send weapons to Ukraine.”
The United States has asked Egypt to provide Ukraine with artillery shells, anti-tank missiles, air defense systems and other small arms, according to the newspaper, quoting a US official.
The newspaper stated that “the American request came for the first time through the Minister of Defense, Lloyd Austin, during his visit to Cairo and his meeting with the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, last March.”
Since then, senior US officials have raised the same request in multiple meetings with their Egyptian counterparts, according to the report.
The newspaper added, “Egypt did not categorically reject the American requests, but Egyptian officials said in their private sessions that their country had no plans to send weapons.”
Egypt is a strategic ally of the United States, and a major beneficiary of US military assistance, despite Washington’s concerns regarding the situation of human rights and basic rights in this country.
Leaked documents: Egypt halted a plan to supply missiles to Russia following US intervention
Egypt stopped a plan to supply Russia with missiles and decided to produce artillery ammunition for Ukraine, following talks with the United States last month, the Washington Post revealed, citing leaked American documents.
US law obliges the State Department each year to determine whether Egypt is making progress in the field of human rights or not, and to link its access to $300 million in annual military aid to the extent of progress made in this field.
A senior US State Department official said, “Egypt serves as Washington’s partner for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
He added, “We found these talks with Egypt to be fruitful. In a series of diplomatic discussions, Egypt’s reaction was befitting of a strong partner of the United States.”
“These are not simple or quick issues, and our discussions with our Egyptian partners regarding our common interest in ending the Russian war are fruitful and ongoing,” the official added.
For his part, a spokesman for the US National Security Council said: “Our cooperation with Egypt on a range of issues, including the conflict in Ukraine, is broad and positive.”
A spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry did not respond to the Wall Street Journal’s request for comment. The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to Al-Hurra’s request for comment.
This comes following Egypt stopped plans to send weapons to Russia earlier this year following an American request, according to the newspaper.
The officials told the newspaper that “Egypt initially planned to send missiles to Russia, but stopped completing that plan under pressure from the United States.”
Because of human rights.. The United States is withholding $130 million in aid to Egypt
The administration of US President Joe Biden will withhold $130 million in security aid from Egypt for the second year in a row because of its human rights record, according to the Washington Post.
Egypt has tried not to take sides since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and has maintained friendly relations with the Russian government.
Sisi enjoys a strong personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and he attended the summit of African leaders in St. Petersburg last July.
Egypt also buys the majority of its wheat from Russia, and Moscow is looking to increase those sales following last month reneging on an agreement that allowed Ukraine to export the grain across the Black Sea.
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