Biden and allies in Berlin vow no let-up in support for Ukraine

BERLIN: US President Joe Biden and the leaders of Germany, France and Britain pledged on Friday to keep up support for Ukraine and condemned “Russia´s continued war of aggression”.

After meeting in Berlin, the four leaders in a joint statement “reiterated their resolve to continue supporting Ukraine in its efforts to secure a just and lasting peace”.

Biden, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer said they had “discussed their plans to provide Ukraine with additional security, economic and humanitarian assistance”.

The leaders met on the day Biden made his farewell visit to Germany just weeks before US election.

As Ukraine faces a third winter at war amid battlefield losses in the east, Kyiv and its allies fear a potential return of Donald Trump to the White House that would likely mean reduced US military support.

“We´re headed into a very difficult winter. We cannot let up,” Biden said.

Washington and London have also rejected Ukrainian requests for clearance to use donated long-range weapons against targets inside Russia. Berlin has also refused to send its own long-range Taurus missile system.

“We are supporting Ukraine as powerfully as we can,” Scholz said. “And at the same time we are making sure that Nato does not become a party to the war, so that this war does not turn into an even bigger catastrophe.” The United States has been by far the biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion in 2022. Germany is the next biggest military backer. Biden earlier received a red-carpet welcome from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who awarded him Germany´s highest honour for championing bilateral and transatlantic ties.

The German head of state honoured 81-year-old Biden as “a beacon of democracy” who had shown unwavering support for Nato and Ukraine “in our most dangerous moment since the Cold War”.

Biden´s visit came as the US presidential race heats up ahead of the November 5 election and allies are nervously eyeing a possible Trump victory over Kamala Harris.