INTERNATIONAL- President Joe Biden will meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Washington on 9 February to discuss additional support for Ukraine. The White House stated that the meeting will reinforce a shared commitment to support Ukraine in the face of a Russian invasion.
During the meeting, the two leaders will discuss a number of important issues, including efforts to prevent the escalation of conflict in the Middle East. They will also affirm their support for Israel’s right to self-defence, and discuss steps to increase humanitarian aid and protect civilians in Gaza from harm.
The White House stated that the meeting will reinforce a shared commitment to support Ukraine in the face of a Russian invasion.
The meeting comes amid important discussions in the US Senate over a border security deal. Some Republicans have proposed the deal as a precondition for approving additional aid to Ukraine. Biden has previously asserted that the deal being negotiated is the most stringent and fair reform that can be achieved. He also promised to tighten border security once the bill is passed.
Biden requested an additional $61.4 billion to support arms supplies to Ukraine and replenish US stockpiles. This request is part of a supplemental funding package that also includes $14.3 billion for Israel and $13.6 billion for border protection.
On the other hand, Scholz expressed concern that most EU countries have not provided enough arms support to Ukraine. He urged his allies to increase their contributions. At the end of last year, Germany agreed to double military aid to Ukraine to 8 billion euros by 2024, including delivering six ‘Sea King’ helicopters from its military inventory this year.
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Kyiv and Western countries regard the Russian invasion in 2022 as unprovoked aggression and an attempted territorial grab. In contrast, Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that the invasion was necessary to maintain Russia’s security.
