Biden will meet with Olaf Scholz, the new German Chancellor, at the White House on Monday to discuss a joint strategy for resolving the crisis in Ukraine and Russia.
Scholz and Biden will meet in the Oval Office early on Monday afternoon for an official bilateral meeting. At 3:15 p.m. EST, they will hold a joint news conference.
Biden is expected to seek a commitment from German Chancellor Angela Merkel to take a strong stance against Russia, which has amassed more than 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border.
Scholz took over as chancellor in December, succeeding Angela Merkel. His first trip to the United States as Germany leader will take place Monday.
According to a senior administration official, “the president is eager to meet Chancellor Scholz in person during this first official visit to Washington as head of state.” President Trump’s visit almost two months after he took office shows the continued importance of the United States’ bilateral relationship with Germany, and the importance of this friendship between these two leaders. ”
With the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline, Germany relies on Russia for its natural gas supply. According to some lawmakers in Washington, the relationship is preventing Europe and the United States from uniting against Moscow in Ukraine’s efforts.
As Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio stated last month, “I think everyone should agree that if there is an incursion, an invasion, any kind of activity by Russia, that the pipeline needs to be cut off”. “That’s worth mentioning. And the Germans haven’t said anything about it?”
When asked about the pipeline project, Scholz said that Germany would respond “united and decisive” with its allies in the event of a Ukrainian invasion.
Concerns about a Russian invasion have prompted a number of meetings in the West, including this one between Biden and Scholz. French President Emmanuel Macron met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, where he was also expected to caution the Kremlin leader against any military incursion in Ukraine.
