Biden and Scholz discuss the war in Ukraine at the White House

Washington. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Western allies would support Ukraine “for as long as it takes” when he visited the White House on Friday for a private meeting with President Biden.

The two leaders are huddled together as the war enters its tricky next phase, with new concerns about softening the political resolve behind keeping billions of dollars in military aid to Kyiv.

“This is a very, very important year because of the dangerous threat to the world that comes from Russia invading Ukraine,” Scholz said.

Both leaders said they would continue to work “in step,” with Mr. Biden thanking Scholz for helping “maintain pressure” on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

China was not mentioned during their brief public appearances in the Oval Office, although the meeting came at a time when both countries increasingly raised concerns that Beijing might step aside and supply weapons to Russia. Such a move could dramatically change the trajectory of the war, allowing Moscow to replenish its depleted reserves.

China is Germany’s main trading partner, and European countries tend to be more cautious than the United States in taking a hard line on Beijing. However, there are signs that may change as global rivalry intensifies.

In a speech to the German parliament on Thursday, Scholz urged China to “use its influence in Moscow to force the withdrawal of Russian troops and not supply weapons to aggressor Russia.”

The US and Germany have worked closely to provide Ukraine with military and humanitarian aid. But there were also frictions over issues such as the supply of tanks, and Washington was at times frustrated with Berlin’s indecisiveness.

Maintaining a constant flow of weapons to Kyiv will be critical in the second year of the war, especially with both sides planning a spring offensive.

“We are proud of the collective effort we have made together,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Thursday.

He said the US sees no sign that China has made a decision on whether to supply weapons to Russia.

Scholz last visited the White House a little over a year ago, shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine. A very small part of Friday’s meeting was open to the public and no announcements have been made since.

Unlike official state visits, such as French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Washington last year, there was no pomp or ceremony. Scholz’s trip also lacked the usual press conference in which the two leaders answer questions from journalists representing both countries.

Kirby called it “a real working visit between these two leaders”.

In an interview with German broadcaster Welt, opposition leader Friedrich Merz accused Scholz of hiding information about his trip to Washington, which took place without the usual press package. Merz suggested that Scholz should assuage his annoyance over the deal to supply tanks to Ukraine.

Scholz rejected any disagreements between the allies.

Asked by the Associated Press about the circumstances of his visit, Scholz said he and Mr. Biden “want to talk to each other directly,” and he described “a global situation where things have become very complicated.”

“It is important that such close friends can constantly discuss all these issues together,” he said.

Jake Sullivan, Mr Biden’s national security adviser, hinted at some tension between the two countries on Sunday when he appeared on “This Week” on ABC.

He said Mr. Biden initially decided not to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine, believing they would not be immediately useful to Ukrainian forces. However, according to Sullivan, Germany will not send its Leopard tanks “until the president also agrees to send the Abrams.”

“So, in the interests of the unity of the alliance and for Ukraine to get what it wanted, despite the fact that the Abrams are not the tool that it needs, the president said: “Okay, I will be the leader of the free world,” Sullivan said. “I will send the Abrams on the way if you send the Leopards at once. These leopards will be sent now.”

The Scholz government denies that such a requirement was made of the United States.

Max Bergmann, a former State Department official who heads the European program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the US has often wanted Germany, the world’s fifth-largest economy, to be more powerful on the world stage.

“There is hope that instead of pushing us all the time, Germany will take the lead,” he said.

Bergmann said Germany had come a long way in strengthening its defenses, but added that there was still more to be done.

“The German view of the world does not always coincide with the American view of the world,” he said.

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