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Senate fails to pass resolution blocking Trump administration’s F-35 sale to the UAE

Major obstacle falls to Trump administration's Gulf security goals.
An F-35 fighter plane flies over the White House on June 12, 2019, in Washington DC. - US President Donald Trump announced while meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda that Poland was ordering more than 30 F-35 combat aircraft. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP)        (Photo credit should read ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)

The US Senate on Wednesday failed to pass resolutions to block the Trump administration’s planned $23 billion sale of the advanced F-35 fighter jet and armed drones to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Though President Donald Trump was expected to veto the resolution, its failure to pass Congress’ upper chamber is a blow to Democrats’ effort to stop the transfer of the highly sensitive and deadly weapons to Abu Dhabi, which maintains defense relationships with Russia and China and is among the top violators of the United Nations arms embargo on Libya.

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