In recent months, in the midst of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, there have been repeated impressions of disagreements between Germany and the United States over support for Kiev. At the meeting with Scholz in the White House, Biden was full of praise for the Chancellor.
“I want to thank you, Olaf, for your strong and consistent leadership,” the US President said in the Oval Office. “I mean that honestly. It made a huge difference.” Germany not only provides very important “military support”, but also “moral support”, which is very “deep”.
Scholz has also been driving “historic changes” in Germany, increasing defense spending and moving away from reliance on Russian energy, the president added. It’s “not easy”.
Scholz spoke of “very good cooperation” with the USA. It was important that the US and Germany “acted together” in support of Kiev after the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. “Now it is very important that we send out the message that we will continue to do this for as long as it takes and as long as it is necessary,” added Scholz, who spoke in English.
However, cooperation between the US and Germany on military aid to Ukraine has not always gone smoothly. In January, for example, tensions arose between the two governments over the issue of supplying western main battle tanks. On Sunday, Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan caused a stir when he said in an interview that the president had only agreed to supply US Abrams main battle tanks because otherwise Germany would not have supplied Leopard 2 tanks.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk expressed concern about friction between Germany and the United States. “Of course, from a Ukrainian point of view, it is important for the United States and Germany, our key allies, to coordinate their military aid as closely as possible,” the former Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin told RTL and ntv. “The fact that not everything is going smoothly worries us.”
Melnyk also reiterated Ukraine’s demand for Western fighter jets. Both Biden and Scholz have so far refused a delivery of fighter jets.
The talks between the US President and the Chancellor behind closed doors should basically be about further military aid to Ukraine. The topic was possibly China’s growing importance in the Ukraine war. Recently, the United States had repeatedly warned that China could supply weapons to Russia.
Contrary to custom, Scholz and Biden did not appear together before the press after their conversation. The Chancellor, who was received by Biden in Washington for the second time after his inaugural visit in February 2022, left the White House after just under an hour and a half.
Meanwhile, the United States announced new military aid for Ukraine in the amount of 400 million dollars (around 377 million euros). As announced by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the new package includes ammunition for Himars multiple rocket launchers, artillery ammunition and ammunition for Bradley infantry fighting vehicles.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said in Moscow that Western arms deliveries to Ukraine would “have no decisive influence on the outcome of the offensive”. But it is “clear that they will prolong this conflict, with sad consequences for the Ukrainian people”.
