Vice President Joe Biden left Washington Thursday for a quick visit to Belgium and Germany to meet with European leaders in part to discuss security and financial aid to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel and will attend the annual Munich Security Conference, where he will deliver remarks on European and global security challenges.
In Washington, some lawmakers are pushing for the White House to provide weapons to Ukraine to its against Russian-backed separatists. The U.S. has provided Ukraine with some non-lethal military equipment, but has not sent arms.
“All of these issues will be on the table: financial assistance, increasing pressure through sanctions, and how we can most effectively provide security assistance to Ukraine,” said senior administration official who was knowledgeable about the visit but not authorized to speak publicly as a matter of practice.
Other topics on the agenda: energy, trade, the economy, countering violent extremism; as well as other global issues.
Comments