US President Joe Biden plans to meet the leaders of Germany, France and Britain in Berlin on Saturday to discuss the Middle East and Ukraine conflicts, a German government source says.
Afterwards Biden, Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer are to travel to the US air base at Ramstein for talks on military support for Ukraine, to be attended by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other leaders, the source said Tuesday.
Saturday's meetings will come during a three-day state visit by Biden to Germany starting October 10, during which he is also expected to hold talks with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
At the last such meeting at Ramstein, Zelenskyy appealed for additional weapons to repel advancing Russian forces.
The Ramstein meeting is expected to bring together more than 50 of Ukraine's allies and comes at a crucial moment for Ukraine ahead of November's US presidential election, which could shake up the support it receives from Washington.
At the last such meeting at Ramstein, Zelensky appealed for additional weapons to repel advancing Russian forces.
The meeting comes shortly after Russian forces recently said that it had captured two more villages in eastern Ukraine, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, as Moscow's troops continue their steady advance in the region.
Republican candidate Donald Trump has long been critical of the billions of dollars the United States has given to Ukraine and has echoed Russian talking points about the conflict.
In the Middle East crisis, European leaders have reiterated their calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and in the war between Lebanon's pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement and Israel.
Macron on Saturday called for a halt to arms shipments to Israel. Biden, for his part, has so far refused to change his policy of support for the Israelis beyond his suspension in May of a delivery of heavy bombs.
Last week, the Pentagon announced that it would spend about US$1.2 billion to maintain ships deployed as part of Red Sea operations and replenish stocks of missiles fired to repel attacks by Iran and its proxies, according to new budget documents.
– TIMES/AFP/PERFIL
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