The German chancellor flew to Washington to have a private conversation with Biden about new developments in Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed their joint support for Ukraine in its defensive struggle against Russia. Both countries are coming together and strengthening the NATO military alliance, Biden said Friday ahead of a meeting at the White House. It is very important to convey the message that allies will continue to support Ukraine, Scholz stressed.
The German chancellor flew to Washington to have a private conversation with Biden about new developments in Ukraine. Both leaders are also expected to discuss talks with China and US subsidies for climate-friendly technologies.
Scholz: Relationships better than they’ve been in years
Scholz believes that relations between Germany and the United States are better than they have been for many years. “I think this is important in these times when we are being challenged by Russia’s terrible war of aggression against Ukraine,” the SPD politician said Friday during his brief visit to Washington. “But it will also be important in the long term that we continue to develop this transatlantic cooperation.” The basis for this is trust, which comes from talking to each other over and over again. “That’s exactly what we do.”
Scholz wanted to meet Biden at the White House in the afternoon (local time, 8 pm CET) for an hour-long talk. The focus of conversation will be the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Scholz is visiting Biden in Washington for the second time since he took office nearly 15 months ago.
US approves new military aid to Ukraine
Meanwhile, the United States is providing Ukraine with new military aid worth 400 million US dollars (about 377 million euros) to defend against the Russian war of aggression. The package mainly includes ammunition, for example for the US-supplied Himars multiple rocket launchers and howitzers, the US State Department said on Friday. Ammunition for Bradley Armored Vehicles is also included.
According to the latest Pentagon figures, US military aid to Ukraine since the start of the war has totaled more than $32 billion, not including the new package. The United States is considered Ukraine’s most important ally in defending against the Russian invasion.
At the end of January, after much back and forth and in parallel with the German commitment to supply Kiev with Leopard tanks, the US government also announced that it would deliver 31 M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine. Deployment is expected to take some time. More recently, there have been conflicting reports from the White House and the Chancellery in Berlin about how the promise of tanks for Ukraine came about.
(APA)