Congressional Democrats have moved to block multiple U.S. arms sales to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), raising concerns about the Gulf nation’s alleged role in Sudan’s civil war and its growing ties to controversial cryptocurrency ventures. The announcement came the same day President Donald Trump revealed $200 billion in new deals with the UAE.
Senators Chris Murphy, Chris Van Hollen, Brian Schatz, Tim Kaine, and Bernie Sanders introduced resolutions of disapproval targeting three specific arms deals. In the House, Representatives Gregory Meeks and Sara Jacobs filed matching resolutions. They highlighted claims that Abu Dhabi is arming Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—allegations the UAE has repeatedly denied.
In addition to military concerns, lawmakers cited the UAE’s involvement in a $2 billion crypto investment deal using a stablecoin linked to Trump’s World Liberty Financial venture. The project has sparked criticism from ethics watchdogs due to the Trump family’s growing involvement in crypto ventures, including a “meme coin” launched earlier this year.
Senator Murphy criticized the Trump administration for bypassing Congress, calling the situation “nuclear grade corruption.” Similarly, Meeks and Jacobs accused the administration of sidestepping oversight, warning that such deals could worsen the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and violate the UN arms embargo on Darfur.
Despite the controversy, Trump doubled down on U.S.-UAE cooperation during a meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. “Our partnership is only getting stronger,” Trump said, expressing confidence that ties between the two countries would continue to grow. The White House and the UAE embassy have not yet commented.
The arms deals under scrutiny include a $1.32 billion sale of helicopters and related gear, $130 million for F-16 components, and $150 million in parts and support for Apache, Black Hawk, and Chinook helicopters. While Congress can review and vote on such deals, blocking them would require approval from both chambers and enough votes to override a likely presidential veto—something that has never happened.