German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Western allies would support Ukraine for “as long as it takes” as he visited the White House on Friday for a private meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.

The two leaders are huddling as the war enters a difficult next phase, with fresh concerns about softening political resolve behind maintaining billions of dollars in military assistance for Kyiv.

“This is a very, very important year because of the dangerous threat to peace that comes from Russia invading Ukraine,” Scholz said.

Both leaders said they would continue working “in lockstep,” and Biden thanked Scholz for helping to “maintain the pressure” on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

China wasn't mentioned during their brief public remarks in the Oval Office, although the meeting comes as both countries have become increasingly vocal about concerns that Beijing may step off the sidelines and supply weapons to Russia.

Such a step could dramatically change the war’s trajectory by allowing Moscow to replenish its depleted stockpiles.

China is Germany’s top trading partner, and European nations have generally been more cautious than the United States in taking a hard line with Beijing. However, there are signs that may be shifting as global rivalries grow more tense.

(AP)

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