Joe Biden arrived Thursday evening, October 17 in Berlin. The US president canceled a visit to Germany last week due to the storm that hit Florida. A few days later, he was in the German capital for a short visit of a few hours. Apart from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Joe Biden must also meet Frenchman Emmanuel Macron and Briton Keir Starmer who will be in Berlin this Friday afternoon.
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With our correspondent in Berlin, Pascal Thibaut
Last week’s state visit with great fanfare was reduced this Friday to a working meeting lasting a few hours. But obviously, Joe Biden wanted to make this visit to his German ally before the elections in his country.
For Berlin, it’s a meeting full of nostalgia. The American president will receive from his counterpart Steinmeier the highest German distinction for services rendered to friendship between the two countries and to the Transatlantic Alliance.
Olaf Scholz will say goodbye to a very close partner. We have seen since the start of the war in Ukraine, the chancellor has always made progress after coordinating with Washington. Scholz would say that the United States is Germany’s most important partner and France the closest.
If today’s farewells will be particularly nostalgic, it is also because Berlin must once again fear for the future of its relationship with Washington if Donald Trump were to win.
Emmanuel Macron and the British Starmer will then join the Scholz-Biden meeting. They will discuss the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East. A press conference is not planned. Olaf Scholz’s guests must leave Berlin at 5 p.m.
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