WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden leaves for Germany on Thursday and will visit Angola the first week of December, rescheduling postponed visits so he can remain in Washington to monitor the federal response to Hurricane Milton, which hit Florida.
The original itinerary for the postponed trip included a meeting on the war in Ukraine with allied countries at a US military base in Germany before Biden was due to travel to Angola, but this visit to Berlin will be short-lived. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden would speak by phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, but they would not be able to meet in Europe this time.
On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced another $425 million in military aid to Ukraine, bringing the total to more than $64 billion in the two and a half years since the Russian invasion. Wednesday’s package includes surface-to-air missiles to protect Ukrainian infrastructure from Russian attacks and long-range missiles and artillery to support the war effort.
Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also spoke by phone to discuss the need for the countries to “continue our strong cooperation on geopolitical priorities, including supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression,” the White said House. But Jean-Pierre said the trip was important to Biden, in part because of Germany’s help in a complicated hostage situation with Russia.
“The president really wanted to make sure he went to Germany to thank Chancellor Scholz directly,” she said.
There is considerable concern in Europe about what next month’s US presidential election could mean for Ukraine.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, has spoken to Biden about the need to maintain robust economic and military support for Ukraine. Republican Donald Trump has said he will take swift action to end the war with Russia if he regains the White House.
Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, has said the plan would include the creation of a “demilitarized zone” and that Ukraine would not reclaim territory that Russia occupies and agree not to join NATO.
Scholz has been one of Biden’s closest global allies.
In addition to his strong support for Ukraine, Scholz played a crucial role in helping free Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, corporate security director Paul Whelan and others from Russian prisons in a multinational prisoner swap.
As part of the largest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history, Scholz agreed to release Vadim Krasikov, a Russian convicted of the 2019 murder of a 40-year-old Georgian national who had fought against Russian forces in Chechnya and later sought asylum had applied for in Chechnya. Germany.
Biden has not visited Africa since taking office in early 2021.
