Biden names Qatar major non-NATO ally as energy crisis looms

By AAMER MADHANI
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday designated Qatar a major non-NATO ally, a largely symbolic honor but one that was meant to convey his administration’s gratitude for the tiny Persian Gulf nation’s assistance during last year’s U.S. evacuations in Afghanistan and assistance in ending last year’s Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Biden announced the designation during a meeting with the ruling leader of Qatar at the White House on Monday. It comes as he looks to the gas-rich nation to help the West as it faces the prospect of a European energy crunch if Russia invades Ukraine. Biden called Qatar “a good friend a reliable partner.”