White House reveals agenda of Biden-Scholz talks
The prospects of securing a new assistance package for Ukraine in U.S. Congress, battlefield developments, and international efforts in support of Ukraine will be on the top agenda of the upcoming talks between U.S. President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
That’s according to Security Council Coordinator John Kirby, who spoke with journalists over the phone on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“There's no question that they're going to talk about the war in Ukraine and how we can work together to push back on Putin's continued aggression,” Kirby said.
He also noted that the two leaders will have an opportunity to discuss “what things look like on the battlefront”.
“I have no doubt that they'll discuss the work that's there on the Senate side, that Republicans and Democrats have worked so hard to get a bill put forward which would allow for funding for Ukraine to continue,” the official emphasized.
He expressed belief that President Biden will make clear to Chancellor Scholz how much he personally wants to continue to support Ukraine and how hard Senate negotiators worked on both sides of the aisle to get at this final bill.
“I think he'll also remind the chancellor that there is strong bipartisan support actually in both chambers,” he noted.
He added that in this context, leaders of committees related to U.S. national security back continued support for Ukraine.
The two leaders will also have the opportunity to discuss the Middle East and touch on the NATO Summit coming up in Washington later this year.
As Ukrinform reported earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit the U.S. on February 8-9 where he will meet with President Joe Biden, American lawmakers, and business representatives.