Kuwait emir Sheikh Sabah meets Donald Trump amid ongoing Gulf diplomatic crisis

FP Staff • September 8, 2017, 22:43:02 IST

President Donald Trump, joined by the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, address a press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington

President Donald Trump, joined by the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, addressed a press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Thursday. Kuwait, a staunch US ally, is trying to mediate a diplomatic crisis involving Qatar and its Arab neighbours. AP

Trump’s White House meeting with Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah came as Trump had sent conflicting signals about where he stood on the dispute. Trump initially appeared to side with Saudi Arabia, but then he instructed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to support the Kuwaiti mediation effort. AP

White House chief of staff John Kelly, third from right, listens during the press conference. Trump said he appreciated the emir’s thus-far unsuccessful bid to end the dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. AP

Trump applauded Kuwait’s “critical contributions to regional stability” but also repeated an offer to mediate himself, particularly between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He suggested a deal would be “worked out very quickly” if he became personally involved. AP

For his part, Sheikh Sabah said he remained hopeful that a resolution to the crisis could be reached. “I am optimistic that the solution will come in the very near future,” he said. “The hope has not ended yet,” he added. AP

He also noted that Qatar had been presented with a list of 13 demands by the other countries and was willing to discuss them. Although Qatar has rejected some of them out of hand, Sheikh Sabah said he believed negotiations were possible. AP