US President Joe Biden will make a quick visit to Germany to talk with European allies about Ukraine, as part of a tour postponed by Hurricane Milton that also included a trip to Angola, rescheduled for December.
President Joe Biden will travel to Germany on Thursday and visit Angola the first week of December, rescheduling the postponed visits so he could remain in Washington and oversee the federal response to Hurricane Milton as it hit Florida.
The White House confirmed that Biden will depart for his quick trip to Berlin on Thursday. His visit will offer the opportunity to meet with his key ally, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and discuss his countries' support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, as the conflict reaches another critical juncture.
Biden's initial itinerary for the postponed trip included a meeting on the war in Ukraine with allied nations at a U.S. military base in Germany before continuing on to Angola.
The White House said the meeting of representatives of allied nations, partners in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, will be held virtually next month. Still, the war in Ukraine will feature prominently during Biden's visit to Berlin this week.
Biden spoke by phone Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but they will not meet while the president is in Germany.
The two leaders discussed Zelenskyy's “victory plan” shortly after the Ukrainian leader presented it to his parliament. Zelenskyy is scheduled to present the five-point plan to the European Council on Thursday.
Zelenskyy had previously spoken to Biden about the proposal.
The plan includes an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO and permission to use long-range missiles supplied by the West to strike military targets deep inside Russian territory, measures that have so far been met with reluctance by kyiv's allies.
The White House on Wednesday declined to comment on the plan.
“We're going to let the Ukrainians talk about their plan for victory,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. “What we are going to continue to do is show our support for the Ukrainians on the battlefield as they continue to defeat Russia.”
Zelenskyy said in a statement after the call that he also spoke with Biden about the possibility of the United States and Ukraine exploring ways to produce weapons together.
The Biden administration also announced another $425 million in military assistance to Ukraine, bringing the total to more than $64 billion in the two and a half years since the Russian invasion. Wednesday's package includes surface-to-air missiles to protect Ukrainian infrastructure from Russian attacks and long-range rockets and artillery to aid its war effort.
Biden and Scholz recently spoke by phone to discuss the need for the countries to “continue our strong collaboration on geopolitical priorities, including supporting the defense of Ukraine against Russian aggression,” according to the White House.
Jean-Pierre said the trip was important for Biden, in part because of Germany's help with a complicated hostage exchange with Russia.
“The president really wanted to make sure he went to Germany to thank Chancellor Scholz directly,” he said.
Scholz, in a speech to the German parliament on Wednesday, said he was looking forward to Biden's visit. “I would like to say that … President Biden represents an incredible improvement in cooperation over the last few years,” Scholz said, adding that he was grateful for the “good collaboration” forged with the Democratic president.
There is a significant measure of anxiety in Europe about what next month's US presidential election could mean for Ukraine.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, has been on the same page with Biden on the need to maintain strong economic and military support for Ukraine. Republican Donald Trump has said he would act quickly to end the war with Russia if he regains the White House.
Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, has said the plan would include establishing a “demilitarized zone” and that Ukraine would not claim territory Russia occupies and would agree not to join NATO.
Scholz has been one of Biden's closest global allies.
In addition to his strong support for Ukraine, Scholz played a critical role in helping free Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, corporate security executive Paul Whelan and others from Russian prisons in a multinational prisoner exchange.
As part of the largest prisoner exchange in post-Soviet history, Scholz agreed to free Vadim Krasikov, a Russian who was convicted of the 2019 murder of a 40-year-old Georgian national who had fought against Russian troops in Chechnya and then sought asylum in Germany.
Biden has not visited Africa since taking office in early 2021.
Jean-Pierre said the upcoming visit to Luanda aims to “recognize Angola's role as a strategic partner and regional leader, and discuss greater collaboration on security, health and economic partnerships.”