Joe Biden to meet Qatar emir as energy worries loom in Europe

US president and Sheikh Tamim plan to discuss Middle East security, global energy supplies and Afghanistan

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, left, and US President Joe Biden will discuss Middle East security, among other issues, when they meet on Monday. AFP

US President Joe Biden will host the Emir of Qatar at the White House on Monday.

The visit comes as US and European allies scramble to put together contingency plans to meet Europe’s energy needs, should supplies be affected by Russia invading Ukraine.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Mr Biden and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani plan to discuss Middle East security, ensuring the stability of global energy supplies and the situation in Afghanistan, where humanitarian conditions have deteriorated in the aftermath of the US military withdrawal and Taliban takeover last year.

Qatar is one of the world’s largest suppliers of liquefied natural gas and is among countries the US is hoping could help Europe should a Russian invasion of Ukraine lead to Moscow stemming the flow of energy.

About 100,000 Russian troops are stationed near the Ukraine border. Mr Biden has repeatedly said Russia will face severe consequences if it further invades Ukraine. US officials believe Russian military action could be imminent.

Europe could look to natural gas supplies in North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the US, if needed.

The effort would require “rather smaller volumes from a multitude of sources” to make up for a Russian cut-off, according to a senior Biden administration official who spoke about internal deliberations on the condition of anonymity.

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