Joe Biden says Western allies must keep aiding Ukraine as he meets European partners
US President Joe Biden said it is important for Ukraine’s Western allies to “sustain our resolve” in supporting the country as he held meetings on Friday with European partners.
Mr Biden met Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Ukraine’s second-biggest military supplier after the US. They were joined by French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for discussions that were also addressing the conflict in the Middle East.
With the election just weeks away and the race extremely tight, there are worries that a victory for Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, could upset the relationships that Mr Biden is hoping to pass on to Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee.
Mr Trump has voiced doubts about coming to the defence of Nato members if they come under attack.
“As Ukraine faces a tough winter, we must — we must — sustain our resolve, our effort and our support,” Mr Biden said.
“And I know the cost is heavy. Make no mistake, it pales in comparison to the cost of living in the world where aggression prevails, where large states attack and bully smaller ones simply because they can.”
Mr Scholz said that “we will stand beside Ukraine as long as it is necessary”, pointing to a planned 50 billion-dollar (£38 billion) international loan package funded by interest on profits from frozen Russian assets.
“Our position is clear: we are supporting Ukraine as strongly as possible,” he added. “At the same time, we are taking care that Nato does not become a party to the war so that this war doesn’t culminate in an even bigger catastrophe.”
Mr Scholz has indicated that he is sceptical about aspects of a “victory plan” drawn up by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and says he will stand by his refusal to supply Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Kyiv.
Mr Biden did not want his term to end without visiting Berlin, after having been to other key allies such as Japan, South Korea, France, India, the UK, Poland and Ukraine.
The chancellor thanked Mr Biden for the two leaders’ “extraordinarily close” co-operation.
Concerns about what might come next were reflected as Mr Biden received the highest class of Germany’s Order of Merit.
As he met Mr Scholz, Mr Biden said he was “grateful for Germany’s co-operation in holding Iran accountable for destabilising policies, including providing missiles and drones to Russia to use against Ukraine”.
He pointed to new European sanctions against Iran’s leading airlines and said that “this co-ordination is going to have to continue.”
Mr Biden reiterated his call for Israel to pursue peace after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar — which he described as “a moment of justice”.
“I told the prime minister of Israel yesterday, let’s also make this moment an opportunity to seek a path to peace, a better future in Gaza without Hamas,” he said.