BERLIN — President Joe Biden will leave Washington for Germany on Thursday morning, in what will be one of the last opportunities to lay out his foreign policy vision before next month’s election.
After landing in Berlin, Biden will be greeted with full military honors on Friday before receiving the country’s highest Order of Merit from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, his office said.
Biden will receive the special class Grand Cross in “recognition for his contributions to both the German-American friendship and the transatlantic bond, which he has played a key role in shaping through all the offices he has held over the past five decades.” Steinmeier’s office said in a press statement.
Biden will be in Berlin for less than 24 hours and will also meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss shared military goals and economic and trade priorities, according to a senior administration official. The President is also expected to announce a new exchange program and initiative to boost private investment in emerging technologies in the US and Germany.
The meeting with Scholz comes just months after the German leader played a key role in the international prisoner swap that brought journalist Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan home from long prison sentences in Russia.
Biden met with Scholz at the White House in February to discuss the release of a Russian assassin serving a life sentence in Germany for murder in an exchange. After years of refusing US pressure to trade the Russian, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris separately convinced Scholz earlier this year. The deal ultimately resulted in 24 prisoners being trafficked from seven countries.
The senior administration official called Scholz’s actions bold decision-making, adding that Biden’s “visit this week is truly a testament to this partnership.”
Biden’s trip to Berlin is expected to culminate in a meeting that will also include leaders from France and Britain, with a major focus on supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russia and the Middle East conflict.
On Wednesday, Biden announced a $425 million aid package for Ukraine that includes air-to-ground munitions and armored vehicles, and promised more defense systems and supplies in the coming months.
The trip was scheduled for last week, together with a three-day visit to Angola. But it was postponed so Biden could oversee his administration’s response to Hurricane Milton. The White House said Biden will now travel to Angola in early December.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
