United States President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met face to face in Washington on Thursday to discuss key global issues in what would most likely be the European official's last appearance before stepping down from her position this fall.
The U.S. and Germany have recently been in dispute regarding Nord Stream 2, a Russian gas pipeline. The nations' two leaders discussed the main issue and several other topics in the Oval Office on Thursday, the Democrat said.
U.S.-German Relations
During a press conference with Merkel, Biden noted that he has previously expressed his concerns about Russia's Nord Stream 2. The Democrat added that he and the German chancellor were united in the notion that Russia must not be allowed to take advantage of energy as a means to control or threaten other nations.
Biden continued by saying the gas pipeline has been on construction since before he was president, and by the time his administration took office, it was about 90% complete. He said that it did not make sense anymore to simply impose sanctions.
The American president said he and Merkel have cooperated with their teams to discuss practical measures that the two nations can take together regarding Europe's energy security in determining what the effects of Russia's pipelines actually are.
A White House official said that the two leaders also talked about other global issues, including Russia's cyber attacks, the coronavirus vaccines, climate change, Ukraine, and the two countries' democracies, CNN reported
Merkel's visit to the White House comes only three months before the German chancellor steps down from her position in October. The official has served her country for more than 15 years, and elections that would determine her role will be conducted in September.
During the press conference, Biden praised Merkel for her apparent "strong, principled leadership." The Democrat noted how the German chancellor always continued to defend human dignity during her administration. But despite Biden's apparent praise for Merkel, the two leaders discussed contentious issues when they had a private one-on-one meeting previously.
Controversial Global Issues
Some of the most controversial issues included fears of the American government that Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would give Moscow leverage against Europe. As a response, Merkel said Ukraine had the right to serve as a "transit country" for natural gas. However, she noted the nation also that it had the right to its territorial sovereignty, similar to other countries in the world, USA Today reported.
Biden also gave his farewell to Merkel in anticipation of the German chancellor's stepping down from her post later this year. The Democrat said he would miss seeing the European leader during international summits.
Merkel, who previously showed her troubled relationship with former President Donald Trump, appeared to have been more relaxed during her meeting with Biden. She continued to refer to the Democrat as "Dear Joe."
The German chancellor remained diplomatic when asked to compare her relationships with Biden and Trump, saying it was the interest of her country's leaders to work with every American president. While smiling, Merkel noted her apparent last visit at the White House involved a friendly exchange, the Associated Press reported.
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