Trump speaks with Abu Dhabi crown prince, stresses Gulf Arab unity: White House

US President Donald Trump spoke by telephone on Wednesday with Abu Dhabi's crown prince and stressed the importance of unity among Gulf Arab states, which are in the grips of a diplomatic crisis over accusations by some of them that Qatar supports terrorism, the White House said.

Trump "emphasized the importance of maintaining a united Gulf Cooperation Council to promote regional stability, but never at the expense of eliminating funding for radical extremism or defeating terrorism," during a call with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan, Abu Dhabi's crown prince, the White House said in a statement.

Abu Dhabi is the biggest of seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, along with Egypt, severed diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday.