President Biden said it was important that Ukraine’s Western allies “maintain our resolve” to support the country during his meetings Friday with European partners, with the upcoming US presidential election casting a shadow over his visit to Germany .
Mr Biden met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukraine’s second-largest military supplier after the United States. They were joined by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for discussions that also touched on the Middle East conflict.
“We had some very good meetings today with the Quad,” Biden told reporters after his trip. “There was unanimity to continue to support what is happening in Ukraine and to help Ukrainians. We also talked about the Middle East. We believe there is a path to peace there. It’s going to be harder. This is going to be difficult. But we are all on the same wavelength. There was total unanimity. »
With the election looming in just weeks and the race extremely close, there are fears that a victory for Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, could upend the relationship Mr. Biden hopes to convey to Vice President Kamala Harris, the nominee. Democrat. European leaders are expressing deep concerns about a second Trump administration, fearing a sea change in U.S. foreign policy, particularly regarding support for Ukraine.
Trump has an appetite to impose commercial rates on the United States’ main security partners. He expressed his indifference towards the security of Ukrainerefusing to say in a presidential debate whether he wants America’s ally to win its war against Russia. He expressed doubts about his ability to defend NATO members if they were attacked.
European countries fear that a second Trump presidency could undermine their efforts to combat Russian aggression, leaving them more isolated and vulnerable. The prospect of losing crucial U.S. support has leaders preparing for an uncertain future.
The assembled leaders never uttered Trump’s name in public, but their remarks often hinted at the possibility that he could withdraw support for Ukraine and disregard the global alliances that Mr. Biden and his counterparts view as essential.
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“As Ukraine faces a difficult winter, we must – we must – maintain our resolve, our efforts and our support,” Mr. Biden said. “And I know the cost is heavy. Make no mistake, this pales in comparison to the cost of living in a world where aggression prevails, where large states attack and intimidate smaller ones simply because they can.
Scholz said “we will stand by Ukraine for as long as necessary,” pointing to a $50 billion international loan plan financed by interest on profits from frozen Russian assets.
“Our position is clear: we support Ukraine as strongly as possible,” he added. “At the same time, we are ensuring that NATO does not become a party to the war, so that this war does not lead to an even greater catastrophe.”
Scholz praised Biden’s leadership in mobilizing global support for Ukraine, saying: “It is thanks to your leadership that Putin’s plans failed, that Ukraine was not invaded in a few days. » Scholz then highlighted the courage of the Ukrainian armed forces and the international support, especially from the United States and Germany, which helped Ukraine resist the Russian invasion for more than two and a half years.
“Together, we are committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty and integrity so that Russia cannot subjugate Ukraine by force. We will stand by Ukraine for as long as necessary,” said the Chancellor. “Putin miscalculated.”
Scholz was skeptical about some aspects of the “victory plan” drawn up by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and said he would maintain his refusal to supply Kiev with long-range Taurus cruise missiles.
Mr Biden did not want his term to end without a trip to Berlin, having visited other key allies such as Japan, South Korea, France, India, the UK, Poland and Ukraine.
Concerns about what might come next were reflected when Mr Biden was awarded the highest class of the German Order of Merit, which was also awarded to former US President George HW Bush in recognition of his support for the German reunification.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that friendship with the United States is “and always will be existentially important” for Germany, but that there have always been “moments of closeness and greater distance” .
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“Even recently, just a few years ago, the distance grew so much that we almost lost each other,” Steinmeier said, referring to strained relations during Trump’s previous presidency. He said Mr Biden “literally gave Europe hope in the transatlantic alliance overnight”.
“In the months to come, I hope that Europeans will remember: America is indispensable to us,” he added. “And I hope Americans remember: your allies are essential to you. We are much more than just “other countries” in the world: we are partners, we are friends. »
Recalling the “broad spectrum of history” he has seen in his 81 years, Mr. Biden said: “we should never underestimate the power of democracy, never underestimate the value of alliances”.
During his meeting with Scholz, Biden said he was “grateful for Germany’s cooperation in holding Iran accountable for its destabilizing policies, including providing Russia with missiles and drones to they use them against Ukraine.” He referred to the new European sanctions against the main Iranian airlines and declared that “this coordination will have to continue”.
Mr. Biden reiterated his call for Israel to seek peace after the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar – which he described as “a moment of justice”.
“I told the Israeli Prime Minister yesterday: let’s make this moment an opportunity to seek a path to peace, a better future in Gaza without Hamas,” he said.
Trump said his approach would help the U.S. economy and prevent foreign countries from taking advantage of the United States. He claims that if he were still president, Russia would never have invaded Ukraine in 2022 and Hamas would never have attacked Israel in 2023.
“I will end the war in Ukraine, end the chaos in the Middle East and prevent a Third World War,” he said at a recent rally in Georgia.
Harris, for her part, expressed strong support for Ukraine and joined Mr. Biden on support for Israel, while placing particular emphasis on the need to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians whose lives have been upended by the Hamas-Israel war.
contributed to this report.