President Joe Biden will depart for Germany on Thursday to discuss the war in Ukraine and other international challenges concerning the two nations.
Biden originally planned to visit Germany earlier this month but delayed the visit as hurricanes hit the United States. The rescheduled visit offers the president a chance to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a key partner supporting the Ukrainian forces in their ongoing fight against Russia.
The visit comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking international support for what he has dubbed his “victory plan” to end the war. Biden spoke with Zelenskyy by phone on Wednesday to discuss the plan. Zelenskyy expects to discuss the plan with other European leaders this week.
Biden’s initial itinerary for the postponed trip included a meeting at an American military base in Germany to discuss the war in Ukraine with other allies and partners. That meeting with Ukraine’s various international allies, organized together as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, will instead proceed on a November virtual call.
Still, the war in Ukraine is likely to be a focal point when Biden meets with Scholz.
Middle East Conflict
The senior Biden administration official said the president plans to address a range of additional topics during the visit, including the multiple ongoing and overlapping conflicts in the Middle East.
Israeli forces are currently prosecuting military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Many countries around the world have designated Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations.
Israeli forces are also preparing their response after Iranian forces unleashed a salvo of ballistic missiles across Israel on Oct. 1.
“Finding a sustainable diplomatic solution concerning the conflict now between Israel and Lebanon, the situation in Gaza of course, the risk of escalation with Iran; all of those are important issues that I’m sure leaders will discuss,” the senior Biden administration official said.
The senior administration official revealed that Biden would also announce a new international exchange program during his to Germany. The official said this exchange program “builds on our commitment to democracy and the democratic values that we safeguard.”
Germany already participates in the Fulbright cultural exchange program, administered through the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The senior administration official said Biden would also announce “a new dialogue focused on aligning private investment with emerging technologies,” including artificial intelligence.
“The president really wanted to make sure to go to Germany to thank Chancellor Scholz directly,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday, ahead of the visit.
