President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in a unified call on Friday, pressed the US Congress to release new aid for Ukraine. Despite their joint appeal, there’s no guarantee their efforts will bear fruit. Biden, 81, remarked that the US Congress’s failure to assist Ukraine would border on “criminal negligence” and labeled it a “scandal.”
For months, Biden has been advocating for an additional $60 billion to resume the military aid that ceased at the end of December. Scholz, following discussions, warned that the US Congress’s inability to unlock financial aid poses a “real threat to the integrity of Ukrainian territory.”
During his visit to Washington on Friday, Scholz urged the US Congress to quickly allocate financial aid to Ukraine, cautioning that failure to provide this support would significantly complicate the situation for Kyiv. “It would be good if the aid could be allocated very quickly,” Scholz told reporters, “as the situation in Ukraine would become extremely complicated without US contribution.”
Later on Friday, Scholz’s talks with Biden in Washington focused on continuing military support for Ukraine, amidst political disagreements stalling a US support package worth billions. On Thursday, the German Chancellor met with several Democratic and Republican senators in Washington at a dinner event, where he concluded by calling for transatlantic support for Ukraine.
Scholz’s agenda also covered the escalating tensions in the Middle East, with the ongoing Israeli war against Hamas and US strikes on Iran-linked targets following attacks on American soldiers. The US remains the largest military supporter of Kyiv, with Germany ranking second. The meeting between Scholz and Biden comes nearly two years after the onset of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
