Berlin, 06 February 2022: The official aircraft is ready and waiting. Shortly before his departure for the United States of America, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz gives a television interview at the airport.
At the airport in Washington, D.C., he is met by the German Ambassador to the United States, Emily Haber.
Washington, 7 February 2022: In the morning, the Federal Chancellor gives the journalists present a preview of his talks with US President Biden. The most important issue will be the current situation in Ukraine.
In the early afternoon, Federal Chancellor Scholz is received in the Oval Office by US President Joe Biden.
“We’re in an extremely difficult situation,” stressed Scholz on the subject of the Ukraine crisis. “There’s a military threat to Ukraine that has to be openly addressed.” This was “a serious threat to security in Europe”.
It was important to “take joint action and stand together in doing whatever is necessary,” he said. All NATO allies had made their position clear: “If there is military aggression against Ukraine, tough, mutually agreed and far-reaching sanctions will be imposed.”
At the same time, stressed Scholz, it was important to “make use of all our diplomatic options.” He said he was happy to see that bilateral talks were going on between Russia and the USA, as well as under the NATO-Russia format and within the framework of the OSCE.
This also applied to the talks going on between Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany, said Scholz – the so-called Normandy format.
The dual strategy of making “clear pronouncements with regard to sanctions” while at the same time pursuing “all forums available to us” was “the most promising approach in the current situation,” stressed Federal Chancellor Scholz at the press conference.
After his meeting with the US President, Federal Chancellor Scholz gave an interview to CNN host Jake Tapper.
Before returning home, the Federal Chancellor engaged in discussion with German junior ambassadors who are on the Parliamentary Partnership Programme (PPP) for young professionals. The PPP is a Bundestag scholarship programme that gives young professionals and school students the opportunity to establish contacts in the USA by spending a year with a host family and going to school or work.