US President Joe Biden on Thursday, October 17, 2024, heads towards Berlin to discuss the escalating tension between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle Eastern region with the leaders of Germany, France, and Britain.
According to Reuters, the US president will land in Germany late on Thursday and will hold a bilateral dialogue with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier early on Friday, days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western allies to take rapid action to end the war.
After meeting with the president, he will meet with the so-called European quad in the afternoon.
A senior U.S. administration official ahead of the Biden trip and meeting with European leaders said, “The situation on the battlefield in Ukraine, the trajectory of the war, how allies can best support Ukraine will be a subject of conversation.”
Moreover, the 81-year-old has a close working relationship with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the visit will strengthen the relationship between the two nations before the last two months of Biden in office.
Scholz told the German parliament on Wednesday, “Germany and the United States are the biggest supporters of Ukraine in defense of its sovereignty and integrity and its democracy. And we will continue to be so.”
He further added, “But this is a time when, in addition to our clear support for Ukraine, we must also do everything we can to find out how we can ensure that this war does not go on forever, that it does not continue to kill an unbelievable amount of women and men."
To note, Biden was scheduled to visit Germany last week, but he postponed the trip to focus on dealing with the catastrophe of Hurricane Milton.
