Biden to host new German chancellor in February

President Biden will host new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House next month, the first in-person meeting between the two leaders since Scholz took office.

Scholz will travel to Washington, D.C., and meet with Biden on Feb. 7, press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.

“The leaders will discuss their shared commitment to both ongoing diplomacy and joint efforts to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine,” Psaki said. “They will also discuss the importance of continued close cooperation on a range of common challenges, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing the threat of climate change, and promoting economic prosperity and international security based on our shared democratic values.”

Scholz was among the European leaders who joined Biden on a virtual call on Monday to discuss a coordinated response among allies amid the threat of a Russian invasion into Ukraine.

The leaders “reiterated their continued concern about the Russian military build-up on Ukraine’s borders and expressed their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the White House said in a readout of the call. Biden later touted there was “total unanimity” among the leaders.

Scholz replaced former Chancellor Angela Merkel in December after her four terms in the role. Biden spoke with Scholz by phone after he’d taken office.

Scholz, 63, served as labor and social affairs minister in Merkel’s first coalition government in the late 2000s.