The looming conflict between Russia and Ukraine is the immediate concern of Mr. Biden, who is trying to maintain unity with America’s European allies behind the threat of sanctions against Russia if President Vladimir V. Putin decides to invade.
Concerns about the possibility that Russia could restrict the flow of natural gas to Europe could undermine that unity, and White House officials have said they are working with other countries around the world to reassure European leaders if that happened.
In the case of Qatar, Mr Biden also hopes to deepen economic and security ties. In his comments on Monday, the president praised the announcement by the chief executive of Qatar Airways of a $34 billion deal to buy aircraft from Boeing. Biden said the deal would support tens of thousands of jobs in the United States.
Under the deal announced Monday, Qatar Airways will purchase a new Boeing supercargoer, the 777-8 freighter. Stan Deal, the CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a White House announcement that “Qatar Airways’ choice of the efficient 777-8 freighter is a testament to our commitment to provide freighters with market-leading capacity, reliability and efficiency. . ”
Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker called it the launch of “the most important new cargo aircraft for a generation”.
White House officials called the deal between the two companies one of the largest in Boeing history and said it would benefit Americans by supporting tens of thousands of jobs at Boeing and its affiliates.
Brian Deese, the director of Biden’s National Economic Council, said in a tweet that the deal could be one of the biggest exports of the year from the United States, boasting the ways the deal could help the US economy.
In short, this deal boosts the U.S. civil aviation industry, promotes greater domestic manufacturing capacity, a healthy hybrid commercial defense industrial base, and strong supply chains, while enhancing the hundreds of small businesses that power Boeing’s supply chains,” he wrote.