Jordan’s King Abdullah to Be First Arab Leader to Meet with Trump’s Administration

Jordan’s King Abdullah II is to begin a working visit to Washington today, three days after US President Donald Trump temporarily banned entry to the US from seven Muslim-majority countries – Jordan isn’t among the countries affected by Trump’s immigration order – and suspended the refugee resettlement program.

According to Sputnik, King Abdullah will be meeting with US officials, although it remains uncertain if he will hold talks with President Trump.

The fight against Daesh and Russia’s role in the Middle East are likely to be on the agenda, Jordanian officials said. “The king will seek a stepped-up campaign against extremists and secure extra resources to help ensure the militants would not be allowed to move towards our borders,” the Reuters news agency quoted one official as saying on condition of anonymity.

King Abdullah has a close personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and went to Moscow last week, signaling Russia’s growing role in the Middle East. “Without Russia, we will not be able to find solutions to not only the Syrian problem but other regional problems in the Middle East,” Abdullah told reporters in Moscow, adding that he and Putin shared “the same vision of bringing stability to our region.”

WE SAID THIS: The king will be the first Arab leader to meet with the new administration.