Next Month, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit the US White House, marking the first formal visit between the world leaders. It also likely represents Chancellor Merkel’s last visit to the US as chancellor as she is not seeking a fifth term in the upcoming elections this September. The pair will discuss a long list of issues affecting the relationship between Germany and the US, which boasts a history of deep bilateral ties. Issues that will be discussed include the Covid-19 pandemic, the threat of climate change, promoting economic prosperity, and international security concerns.
The two leaders have not met in person due to the pandemic, however, they have spoken via phone. The meeting will occur after the G7 Summit, which starts on Friday in Cornwall. The decision to visit comes just weeks after Biden made the decision to waive sanctions on the company behind Russia’s Nord Stream 2, an oil pipeline, citing national security reasons. Officials close to the president suggested that Biden may have wanted to avoid confrontation with Germany after Merkel came under intense pressure to back off of the project due to the poisoning of Alexei Navalny.
Read More: German Chancellor Angela Merkel to visit White House on July 15
