In Washington, Biden and Scholz pledge support for Ukraine 'as long as necessary'
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S. March 3, 2023. REUTERS - KEVIN LAMARQUE
Text by: RFI Follow
4 mins
From the White House, the American president and the German chancellor sent a signal of unity on Friday, to Russia, but also, indirectly, to China.
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This is the second time the German Chancellor has visited the White House.
Olaf Scholz had already come in February 2022, when, Joe Biden recalled, Russia "
was amassing its troops
" on the Ukrainian border.
Westerners then promised to "
respond
" and "
we kept our word
," said the American president from the Oval Office, thanking Olaf Scholz seated next to him.
"
You have increased
" in support of Kiev, he added, as Germany recently agreed, after long hesitation, to deliver tanks to Ukraine.
Olaf Scholz judged him "
very important
" to send a "
message
" concerning Ukraine, namely that "
we will continue [to support it] as long as necessary
".
The Kremlin had already criticized this meeting.
"
The United States is continuing its policy of increasing arms deliveries to Ukraine and persuading their proteges to do the same
," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
New military aid to Ukraine
The White House announced this Friday, March 3, new military aid to Ukraine in the amount of 400 million dollars, consisting mainly of ammunition.
The American president and the German chancellor did not give a joint press conference, which raised questions about the persistence of the tensions recently born around the delivery of German tanks to Ukraine.
The two leaders therefore tried to dispel this impression, Olaf Scholz judging that the bilateral relationship between Germany and the United States was “
very good
”.
This meeting comes after several episodes of tension, whether it is Joe Biden's frontal opposition upon his election to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, carried out with Moscow, or the massive subsidies to American green industries provided for in his "Inflation Reduction Act" plan. ".
But the tension has especially risen recently around the question of sending tanks to Ukraine.
Germany finally agreed on January 26, 2023 to send a significant number of its Leopard tanks, a turning point in Western military support.
For her to agree, the United States had to promise heavy armor itself, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday.
Joe Biden had "
originally decided not to send them because his soldiers told him that they would not be useful on the battlefield
", he explained on the ABC channel.
A version that the German government does not endorse, ensuring that the discussions consisted of building a "common approach", without Berlin forcing Washington's hand.
►
Read also:
Discussions on "future" security guarantees for Ukraine are underway according to Scholz
China, a point of “
friction
”
“
The challenges posed by China
” were also at the center of the discussions, said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, at a time when Washington accused Beijing of considering arms deliveries to Moscow.
The White House noted with undisguised satisfaction that the German chancellor, whose country has a close economic relationship with China, had publicly warned Beijing against lethal military support for Russia.
"
Our views and those of Germany agree
," said a senior White House official on Thursday during an interview with reporters.
China is a point of “
friction
”, also commented Robin Quinville, of the Wilson Center research center in Washington.
"
German economic officials [and many politicians] criticize what they believe to be American attempts
" to weaken the bilateral relations of their allies with China, recalls the expert.
“
A year ago, Scholz's bold about-face on German defense policy won him praise from Washington.
This year, Washington will urge Scholz to continue to choose boldness over caution
,” she said.
► Also to listen: After the ball affair, the United States and China renew contact in Munich
(
With
AFP)
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