Scholz and Biden Discuss Situations in Ukraine and the Middle East in Washington

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will present European support for U.S. President Joe Biden's efforts to provide more funding for Ukraine during a planned meeting at the White House on Friday, which is also expected to address the conflict in the Middle East. Scholz is scheduled to meet with American business leaders before joining Biden at the White House for discussions on the two crises dominating global policy. No plans for a joint press conference have been announced. White House spokesman John Kirby stated on Thursday that the leaders "will reaffirm their strong support for Ukraine and their efforts to find a way to continue providing assistance to Ukraine." The U.S. Senate introduced a $95.34 billion aid bill on Thursday that includes assistance for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan after Republicans blocked legislation containing immigration policy reforms. The White House has warned for months that failure by lawmakers to provide assistance to Kyiv would harm its ability to fight Russia after two years of Moscow's invasion. The European Union approved a four-year facilitation worth 50 billion euros ($54 billion) for Ukraine last week. Ukraine, which aspires to join NATO, relies on Western countries for military and financial support. Kirby noted that Biden and Scholz are likely to discuss the situation in Gaza and "what we can do together as strong allies to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and assistance reaches those who need it." They are also expected to address the threats posed by the Houthis in Yemen to international shipping in the Red Sea.