Washington (dpa) – Following a meeting with US President Joe Biden, Germany’s Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has expressed optimism that the USA will provide further military assistance to Ukraine. After a visit to the White House, Steinmeier said in Washington that Biden had assured him during their meeting that the USA could be “relied on”. He added that both considered it important at their meeting to send a “signal”. “We will continue to support Ukraine in its fight for its country, its freedom and its democracy.” After the meeting with Biden, the German president also made it clear that liberal democracies are currently under pressure – and had to prove themselves anew. He said that democracy could only succeed if political rifts were not made insurmountable and if efforts were repeatedly made to balance interests.
The official reason for the visit was German-American Day, according to the White House. German-American Day is celebrated in the USA on 6 October. It commemorates the arrival of the first German settlers in Philadelphia in 1683. Steinmeier stressed: “German-American friendship is deep and strong.”