AAPT: error: failed to deserialize resource table: configuration has invalid locale 'be-' after updating AGP

I am getting a compilation error after updating the Gradle plugin to 7.2.1 in Android Studio

The Error

AAPT: error: failed to deserialize resource table: configuration has invalid locale 'be-'.

Before (worked fine)

classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:4.0.1'
classpath "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:1.5.10"

Now (compilation error)

classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:7.2.1'
classpath "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:1.6.10"

Build: AI-212.5712.43.2112.8609683, 202205181650,

AI-212.5712.43.2112.8609683, JRE 11.0.12+7-b1504.28-7817840x64 JetBrains s.r.o, OS Windows 10(amd64) v10.0 , screens 6720.0x3780.0

AS: Chipmunk | 2021.2.1 Patch 1; Kotlin plugin: 212-1.6.10-release-923-AS5457.46; Android Gradle Plugin: 7.2.1; Gradle: 7.3.3; Gradle JDK: version 11.0.12;

Project repo - GitHub - madhurgupta10/apps-android-commons: Upload pictures from Android to Wikimedia Commons. Looking for volunteers! Come say hi at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/commons-app-android and install at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.free.nrw.commons