Joe Biden visits Germany with US elections looming
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US President Joe Biden has arrived in Germany ahead of talks with European leaders about support for Ukraine’s war against Russia and the Middle East conflict. Air Force One landed late on Thursday evening.
At the Berlin Brandenburg Airport on arrival, Biden spoke to reporters about the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza on Thursday.
He said it presented a chance for a new push for a hostage release and cease-fire agreement.
“Now’s the time to move on,” Biden said. “Move on, move towards a cease-fire in Gaza, make sure that we are moving in a direction that we’re going to be able to make things better for the whole world.”
Biden had also spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his flight on Air Force One.
During his flying 24-hour visit, just weeks ahead of the US election, Biden will meet several European leaders to discuss Ukraine and the Middle East.
The 81-year-old was originally supposed to travel to Berlin a week ago but postponed the trip at short notice due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Milton on the southeastern coast of the United States at the time.
Biden is now making up for the cancellation with a scaled-down short working visit instead of the full state visit that had been planned.
He is scheduled to meet German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday.
Steinmeier is expected to receive Biden with military honors and present him with the highest class of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit — an honor reserved for foreign heads of state.
He will also meet French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for four-way talks on issues including Ukraine and the Middle East.
Biden had been due to attend a world leaders’ summit at the US air base in Ramstein in Germany’s southwestern Rhineland Palatinate state last week to discuss further support for Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was also scheduled to join that meeting in person.
This will not happen now, with the White House announcing that the Ukraine summit will be rescheduled for November and will take place via video link.
