US President Joe Biden says goodbye to Germany during his visit to Berlin – and “thank you, thank you, thank you”. For Ukraine support, but also other things. One comes off particularly well.
US President Joe Biden praised Germany as the United States’ “closest and most important ally” during his farewell visit to Berlin. He thanked the Federal Government for supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russia, but also for the fight against anti-Semitism and for a clear stance towards Iran. Addressing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, he said: “I want to thank you for your friendship.”
Biden and Scholz jointly assured Ukraine of their solidarity in short statements before their conversation. “America and Germany are the two biggest supporters of Ukraine,” Biden said. The country is now heading for a harsh winter. The allies must therefore urgently maintain their efforts and aid. Scholz said that Putin had miscalculated and that he could not wait out this war.
Not a word about Zelensky’s “victory plan.”
However, the two did not publicly address Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “victory plan.” Both are opposed to Zelensky’s central demands – an unconditional invitation to NATO and war on Russian territory and with extensive Western weapons. Scholz said very clearly at the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday that his position would not change.
During his meeting with Biden, Scholz emphasized that NATO should not be drawn into the war. “Our position is clear: We support Ukraine as vigorously as possible. At the same time, we ensure that NATO does not become a warring party so that this war does not result in an even greater catastrophe,” he said. “We are very aware of this responsibility and no one can take it away from us.”
“Complete agreement” at four-party summit
In addition to the Middle East conflict and Iran, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine was also the main topic of a two-and-a-half-hour four-party summit on the 8th floor of the Chancellery, which was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the afternoon.
Biden then spoke of a good meeting and “complete agreement” in the group. Starmer said: “We are absolutely united in our determination and we will support Ukraine for as long as it is needed.”
A statement following the meeting said the four leaders discussed plans to help Ukraine and discussed Zelensky’s “victory plan.” The aim is to continue to support Ukraine in its efforts to “ensure a just and lasting peace” on the basis of international law.
Biden, Macron, Starmer and Scholz also spoke about the need to end the Gaza war and bring the Israeli hostages back to their families. They once again condemned “Iran’s escalating attack on Israel” and agreed on efforts to hold Iran accountable and prevent further escalation. “We must work towards a diplomatic solution” in Lebanon.
Middle East: Hope for a ceasefire
The Middle East issue moved higher up the agenda at Scholz and Biden’s meeting after Israel announced the previous day that Hamas leader Jihia al-Sinwar had been killed in the Gaza Strip. Biden once again called for this development to be an opportunity to look for a path to peace and a better future in Gaza.
Scholz also said that Sinwar’s death “hopefully opens up the concrete prospect of a ceasefire in Gaza, of an agreement to release the Hamas hostages.” However, it is questionable whether hopes for de-escalation after months of war with Hamas in Gaza and its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon will really be fulfilled.
Flying visit instead of a state visit: 20 hours to Berlin
A good three months before the end of his term in office, it was Biden’s first and last bilateral visit to Germany. Previously, he had only been to the G7 summit in Elmau, Bavaria, in 2022 and with his Air Force One to refuel at the US base in Ramstein.
The 81-year-old originally wanted to travel to Berlin a week earlier, but canceled the trip at short notice – because of a hurricane that was heading towards the southeast coast of the USA at the time. In the second attempt it worked, but in a slimmed-down form. The state visit with all the honors of the protocol and a Ukraine solidarity summit in Ramstein in Rhineland-Palatinate turned into a flying visit of just around 20 hours to Berlin.
Military honors delayed
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed Biden at Bellevue Palace around 10:30 a.m., half an hour late. The two walked together in the Bundeswehr’s honorary formation. Steinmeier then awarded him the highest order that Germany can award in the castle – the “Special Level of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic”. Of the 14 US presidents who have governed the Federal Republic since its inception, only George Bush senior has been honored with this honor.
Scholz and Habeck cannot go to the reception
Among the approximately 70 guests at the reception were Prime Ministers, business bosses and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD). Chancellor Scholz, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck and other cabinet members who belong to the Bundestag were missing. Instead, they had to go to the Bundestag for a roll-call vote on the security package.
Biden met 102-year-old Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer in Bellevue – a special moment of the visit. The president originally wanted to visit the Holocaust memorial next to the US embassy at the Brandenburg Gate. However, due to the shortening of the visit, this appointment was also cancelled. Biden thanked the federal government for its commitment to combating anti-Semitism and extremism. Democratic allies must always remain vigilant against hatred and “old spirits in new clothes.”
“Decades of passion for the transatlantic alliance”
When awarding the medal, Steinmeier praised Biden’s “decades of passion for the transatlantic alliance”, his “outstanding political leadership in this dangerous moment in Europe”, his sincerity and his decency.
Biden then thanked not only the Federal President, but also the federal government. “The German leadership had the wisdom to recognize a turning point in history,” he said, referring to the massive German arms deliveries to Ukraine. He particularly emphasized the Chancellor’s commitment. Under Scholz’s leadership, Germany stood up and faced the moment. Addressing the Chancellor, the US President said: “You have shown the determination to adapt German foreign policy to the new realities and to stand strong and steadfastly at Ukraine’s side.”
Scholz loses his most important international ally
This is a satisfaction for the Chancellor, who is under domestic political pressure and from whom even his own people in the SPD expect more leadership. Biden has been his closest ally on the international stage in recent years – while things didn’t really work out with French President Emmanuel Macron. The Chancellor praised Biden in English as a “friend of Germany, a friend of Europe and, above all, my friend.”
Maybe the friendship will last. On the international stage, Scholz lost his most important ally in January. Then Biden leaves office. And what comes next is still up in the air.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
