President Joe Biden outlined Monday how the United States and Germany are “united” in countering Russia economically and, if necessary, militarily if Ukraine is invaded.
Biden, speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after a bilateral meeting at the White House, told reporters a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be best solved through “diplomatic resolutions,” adding that he and Scholz agree that doesn’t mean “business as usual.”
BIDEN’S SANCTIONS SOLUTION TO PUTIN’S UKRAINE THREAT FACES HURDLES
The president, noting the U.S. is already sending troops to NATO nations, thanked Scholz for “hosting additional U.S. forces and for the long-standing hospitality to our women and men in uniform.”
Furthermore, Biden said he and Scholz reaffirmed the U.S.-German partnerships on “governing emerging technologies,” fully “integrating the Western Balkans into European institutions” and “addressing climate change.”
“The bottom line is, whether as allies and NATO partners through the European Union, as leaders of the G-7 to G-20, or through our strong bilateral relationships, Germany and the United States are close friends,” he said. “There’s no issue of global importance Germany and the United States are not working together, strength to strength, and applying and amplifying our efforts together.”
Still, the U.S. and Germany have clashed in recent years over the completion of Nord Stream 2, the Russian natural gas pipeline. Germany is heavily reliant on Russian gas and previously urged the U.S. to drop sanctions seeking to block Russia’s completion of the pipeline. Several reporters pressed both leaders Monday on the subject, suggesting Germany’s gas-dependence on Russia prevented European allies from taking a stronger stance against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Biden vowed to reporters Monday that if Russia invades Ukraine, “there will no longer be a Nord Stream 2” but did not give specifics on how he would bring an end to it.
“I promise you,” he told reporters. “We’ll be able to do it.”
Unlike Biden, Scholz did not directly pledge to block the completion of the pipeline if tensions escalate but said Germany, the U.S., and European allies “are acting together.”
“We are absolutely united, and we will not be taking different steps,” he said. “We will do the same steps and they will be very, very hard to Russia and they should understand.”
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You can watch Biden’s entire press conference below.
