Biden in Germany to strengthen alliances, discuss global conflicts
A simple coincidence the visit coincides with the presentation of the Zelensky Plan to the European Council?
US President Joe Biden has landed in Germany for an official visit. The presidential plane, Air Force One, landed in Berlin on Wednesday evening from Washington. During his stay, the US president will be welcomed by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Bellevue Palace, where he will be awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. This award is intended to celebrate his contributions to strengthening German-American ties and transatlantic cooperation.
In addition, the US president will have a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The latter stressed the importance of the meeting to discuss the situation in Ukraine and define future moves. A quadrilateral session is also planned involving Biden, Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The discussions will cover critical issues such as the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the growing tensions in the Middle East. The arrival of the US president, which came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presented his "Victory Plan" to the European Council, has not been interpreted by analysts as a simple case of temporal coincidence. Instead, many experts see this simultaneity of events as a strategic signal and possible coordination in the context of the conflict in Ukraine and its related international implications.
Biden, in his first speech in Berlin, announced that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel in the coming days, emphasizing the need to end the conflict and ensure the safety of the hostages. At the end of the visit, the US president will leave for Washington in the late afternoon.
Much in the talks, however, could change following the killing of Hamas leader and mastermind of the October 7 attacks, Yahya Sinwar, announced in these hours by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, which could mean "the beginning of the end" of Hamas -or of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, as many hope?-, as he himself hypothesized. Iran does not seem to agree, of course, as can be seen from its immediate comment: "his martyrdom -of Sinwar, Editor's note- will strengthen the spirit of resistance".
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