German Chancellor Scholz is making his second visit to the United States to send a message of solidarity

A year later, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the United States for the second time since taking office. The visit was meant to “reaffirm the deep friendship between the two countries,” according to the White House, while US media described the meeting as a working visit by the German chancellor to the White House that was free of ostentatious protocol and merely businesslike in creating the impression that the two major NATO Allies were in step in stopping Russian President Vladimir Putin’s expansionist ambitions.

Scholz last visited the White House in February 2022, when Putin was massing troops along the Ukrainian border. In addition, there have been frequent visits and phone calls between the two countries. Biden and Scholz had several phone calls in January to show the world that they are leading NATO’s united front against Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and China’s involvement.

U.S. President Joe Biden met with Scholz on March 3. The two main items on the agenda were trans-Atlantic solidarity in support of Ukraine and how to deal with the possibility of Beijing supplying arms to Moscow. Biden and Scholz met behind closed doors in the Oval Office for more than an hour, a senior White House administration official said.

Berlin is the second largest donor after Washington, pledging nearly $15 billion in support to Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees since Russia’s invasion. Speaking to the media before the closed-door meeting, Scholz said it was a very, very important year because of the dangerous threat to peace posed by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and “at this time I think it is very important for us to send the message that we will continue to do this for however long it takes”.

After thanking Chancellor Scholz for using “strong leadership” to push through historic change at home, Mr. Biden said, “We have made it clear that if he acts, we will both respond, and together we have delivered on that commitment, including increased defense spending in Germany and steps to diversify our energy sources.” “As NATO Allies, we are making the alliance stronger,” he said bluntly.

Notably, the US has just announced a new US $400 million (S $540 million) military aid package for Ukraine, including ammunition and tactical Bridges to move tanks and armoured vehicles.

China is another stakeholder at the meeting, but neither leader acknowledged concerns about Chinese involvement in the conflict with Ukraine, and Biden declined to answer questions about whether the issue would be discussed in his closed-door meeting with Scholz. Lars Lasker, director of the Institute for Contemporary German Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, said the meeting between the two leaders offers “a valuable opportunity to send a clear and persuasive signal to China.”

Germany is a major exporter with ties to China, and there have been recent frictions between Washington and Beijing, from the shooting down of a Chinese balloon over American soil to restrictions on the use of the social network TikTok.

Earlier, the U.S. accused China of considering sending weapons to Russia to help it attack Ukraine, a charge Beijing has denied. Washington welcomes a firmer German stance on the issue, and Scholz did express concern about it, warning China in the Bundestag on Thursday “not to supply arms to the Russian aggressors.”