President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz presented a united public front at the White House after private disagreements over how to best support Ukraine in its war against Russia.
The pair’s roughly hourlong discussion drew parallels with Scholz’s first trip to Washington, D.C., as chancellor last year, scheduled weeks before Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.
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“At the one-year mark of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, the leaders discussed ongoing efforts to provide security, humanitarian, economic, and political assistance to Ukraine and the importance of maintaining global solidarity with the people of Ukraine,” the White House said Friday. “They reiterated their commitment to impose costs on Russia for its aggression for as long as necessary.”
German diplomats told reporters they would not be sharing a readout of Biden and Scholz’s sit-down.
Biden praised Scholz’s aid of Ukraine as “profound” before the meeting despite early criticism of the German’s decision to send only 5,000 helmets to the country in January 2022. The United States and Germany have more recently disagreed over whether to deploy German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, with Scholz dispatching 18 but now encountering difficulties trying to replace them.
But Biden acknowledged in the Oval Office that it has “not been easy” for Germany “to move away from Russian energy sources.”
“I want to thank you, Olaf, for your strong and steady leadership. I mean that sincerely. It’s made a world of difference,” he said.
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German diplomats have underscored Germany’s place as the second largest donor to Ukraine after the U.S., contributing almost $15 billion to the U.S.’s $76.8 billion.
Scholz’s visit coincided with Biden announcing his 33rd security package for Ukraine, which includes more ammunition for U.S.-supplied HIMARS and howitzers, in addition to ammunition for Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, armored vehicle-launched bridges, and demolition munitions as well as equipment.
