Biden to visit Germany for talks with Scholz, Macron and Starmer on Ukraine, Mideast

US president will make whirlwind trip after original meeting postponed due to Hurricane Milton

US President Joe Biden walks over to speak with reporters at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, July 15, 2024, as he heads to Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
US President Joe Biden walks over to speak with reporters at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, July 15, 2024, as he heads to Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – US President Joe Biden will be in Germany on Friday on a whirlwind trip, with Western backing for Ukraine set to be high on the agenda at talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other NATO leaders.

Biden was originally due in Germany last week for a multi-day visit that would have included a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The pair were set to exchange words at the Ramstein US air base in western Germany during a meeting of Ukraine’s backers, where they were expected to discuss continuing support for Kyiv as it looks to hold off Russian forces.

That appointment was postponed as Hurricane Milton barreled down toward Florida, where the storm ended up killing at least 16 people and causing an estimated $50 billion in damage.

But the outgoing US leader was at pains to make his valedictory Germany trip nonetheless, with the stripped-down program now squeezed into a one-day flying visit from late Thursday.

Biden had been a good friend to Germany and had overseen “an incredible improvement in cooperation in recent years,” Scholz said Wednesday in parliament.

Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany (C) is welcomed by US President Joe Biden (L) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during the NATO 75th anniversary summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, on July 10, 2024. (SAUL LOEB / AFP)

“We have a lot to discuss about the major crises and challenges we are facing,” Scholz said.

‘Close bond’

The White House said Biden and Scholz would “further strengthen the close bond” between the two countries and “coordinate on geopolitical priorities, including Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression and events in the Middle East.”

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Germany had provided “critical support” for Ukraine, noting that it was the second largest provider of military aid for Kyiv after the United States.

She also hailed Scholz’s “bold decision” to allow Germany to facilitate a prisoner swap with Russia which freed US reporter Evan Gershkovich.

On the Middle East, Berlin and Washington have backed Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas and Hezbollah but pushed for a way to bring an end to the conflict and avoid a possible regional conflagration.

The US president and the chancellor will be joined for talks by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the White House said on Wednesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, receives Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer before their meeting, August 29, 2024 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (Justin Tallis/Pool Photo via AP)

The four-way meeting between the leaders was meant to take place last week before Biden’s visit was canceled.

On Friday in Berlin, Biden will also meet with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is set to present the US leader with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, the country’s highest honor.

Steinmeier’s office said this was to recognize Biden’s “services to German-American friendship and the transatlantic alliance… in particular in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine.”

Biden’s visit comes just weeks ahead of the US election, with the race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump too close to call.

European defense

Trump’s tumultuous presidency strained relations between Washington and Berlin, with the US leader scolding Germany and others for spending too little on NATO’s common defense.

Some alliance members fear a win for Trump on November 5 could dilute the United States’ commitment to European security and see an end to military support for Ukraine.

Republican presidential nominee former US President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign town hall, October 4, 2024, in Fayetteville, North Carolina (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Biden announced a fresh $425 million military aid package in a call with Zelensky on Wednesday as he seeks to shore up Kyiv ahead of a possible Trump comeback.

Zelensky and Biden however “are not going to have an opportunity to meet” in Europe on this trip, Jean-Pierre said.

Biden would use the trip to Europe to signal “how important US support is for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression,” Daniela Schwarzer, foreign relations expert at the Bertelsmann Foundation said.

The US president, who dramatically pulled out of the race for reelection earlier this year, was also likely to have a “behind closed doors” message for European leaders, Schwarzer said in advance of Biden’s initially planned visit.

With the US election in sight, Biden would stress “how important it is that the Europeans prepare themselves to take on even more responsibility in supporting Ukraine.”

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