Joe Biden is set to visit Germany this week, according to government sources in Berlin, after postponing a previously planned trip due to Hurricane Milton.
Senior German officials, speaking anonymously, confirmed media reports that the U.S. president would travel to Berlin, likely within the next week, though they did not disclose further details as planning for the visit is still underway.
Reports in the German media suggest that Biden will hold talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday, focusing on issues related to Ukraine and the Middle East.
The original trip’s cancellation disrupted plans for a summit of the Ramstein group of countries that supply weapons to Ukraine. The gathering at the U.S. airbase would have explored potential new aid pledges for Ukraine.
Germany had indicated that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Biden, and Scholz were to participate in the event, along with 20 other leaders. It is now considered unlikely that such a summit will occur during Biden’s shortened rescheduled visit, initially intended to last four days.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had been expected to present a “victory plan” at the Ramstein summit. When the event was canceled, he swiftly arranged visits to several European capitals to advocate for continued support.
Following his meeting with Zelenskyy on Friday in Berlin, Scholz announced a €1.4 billion (£1.2 billion) military aid package for Ukraine by the end of 2024, aiming to send a signal to Russia that Western support for Kyiv remains unwavering.
The aid, to be provided in collaboration with partner nations Belgium, Denmark, and Norway, will include enhanced air defense, tanks, combat drones, and artillery.
“This is a clear message to [Russia’s president, Vladimir] Putin – delaying will not change our commitment. Our support for Ukraine will not waver,” Scholz stated. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Germany has been the second-largest arms supplier to Ukraine after the U.S.
Biden’s upcoming visit to Berlin will mark his first bilateral trip to Germany as president, following his participation in the G7 summit at Elmau Castle in Bavaria in June 2022. The original itinerary also included a visit to Angola, fulfilling a pledge to make an official trip to Africa during his presidency.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre noted last week that time is running short for Biden to reschedule as the U.S. gears up for the presidential election. “Three months isn’t a long time,” she said.
In August, Biden personally expressed gratitude to Scholz for his role in a major prisoner exchange with Russia that involved 26 detainees, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. The swap depended on Berlin agreeing to release a jailed FSB agent.
