President Joe Biden will travel to Germany on Thursday, a foreign trip expected to carry a sense of urgency, as the president seeks to ensure Ukraine has everything it needs to defend itself, a senior administration official told reporters Wednesday.
The senior administration official made clear that Ukraine would be the main focus of the trip, which will take place in the final months of Biden’s presidency and will also likely be his final trip to Europe during his term. It also comes shortly before the US elections which could radically change America’s role on the world stage.
The senior administration official explained how Germany is “a critical partner” in U.S. efforts to ensure Ukraine is equipped to repel Russian aggression. The official said the United States and Germany had rallied support from other allies for Ukraine’s war efforts.
“It is the second largest provider of military aid to Ukraine after the United States and has provided a number of high-end capabilities, including tanks and other artillery systems,” said the senior administration official.
President Joe Biden speaks during an Italian American Heritage Month reception, October 16, 2024, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Biden will arrive at Berlin’s Bellevue Palace on Friday to meet German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for an official welcoming ceremony. Biden will then deliver remarks at the Order of Merit ceremony. Biden will then visit the Chancellery to greet Chancellor Olaf Scholz. They will then make joint statements to the press.
Asked if there was a sense of urgency for the trip, the senior administration official said there was “absolutely” a sense of urgency.
“So absolutely, there is a sense of urgency at the White House and coming from President Biden, right at the top, to do everything we can to put Ukraine in a position of strength and then, in ultimately prevail in this conflict,” the statement said. » said a senior administration official.
“I mean, it’s not just a war against Ukraine’s independence, its sovereignty, its territorial integrity and its democratic character, although it is all of those things, but, beyond that, it is a war against the world order principle that a stronger country cannot simply invade another country by force of arms, violate its territorial integrity, violate the sanctity. of its borders, and then frankly engage in anything,” added the senior administration official.
The senior administration official also mentioned that Biden would meet with leaders of other European countries to discuss a range of issues related to the war between Israel and Hamas.
“As for the Quadrilateral meeting, the leaders of the Quad – that is, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany – will have the opportunity to discuss pressing global issues, including Ukraine and the Middle East,” the senior administration official said.
“That will certainly include a discussion on, as I said, building a lasting diplomatic solution to the conflict, which includes the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, but also the escalation of concerns about Iran and the region , as well as the situation in Israel in Gaza “All of this is obviously interconnected in different ways, and I am sure that the leaders will have the opportunity to discuss this in detail and align their positions on the way forward,” added the senior administration official.
Biden is also expected to thank the Germans for their role in the August prisoner exchange that resulted in the release of American journalist Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and others.
“Germany also played a crucial role in securing the release earlier this year of 16 prisoners, including Americans and Germans held by Russia and Belarus, as I said earlier this year, which required significant political leadership and, through this concerted effort and, frankly, this bold decision,” the senior administration official said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrives at a European summit in Brussels, Thursday October 17, 2024.
Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP
Germany is holding Vadim Krasikov, an assassin convicted of killing a Kremlin opponent in Germany. The Germans’ decision to trade Krasikov was crucial in setting up a complex exchange, and Biden had to use his personal relationship with Scholz to achieve the goal.
The senior administration official was asked whether the timing of the trip, which comes less than three weeks before the presidential election, had anything to do with it, and the official said it would not be “a central topic of discussion ” for Biden during his meetings.
The senior administration official said that following the trip, several announcements would be made illustrating the “unique and enduring relationship” between Germany and the United States.
“The president will announce a new exchange program that builds on our commitment to democracy and the democratic values that we uphold,” the senior administration official added. “We will also announce a new dialogue focused on aligning private investment with emerging technologies, for example artificial intelligence.”
