Meanwhile, demonstrators gathered outside the White House Thursday to protest Merkel’s block of COVID-19 patent waivers, which supporters say will greatly improve access to vaccines.
Activists laid down body bags in front of the White House, as well as signs asking Germany to “stop blocking global COVID vaccines.” Merkel was also greeted by protestors chanting “free the vaccine” when she arrived at Johns Hopkins University, which awarded her an honorary doctorate during her Washington visit.
Merkel met with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other White House aides and government officials throughout the day to discuss issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
The purpose of the visit is to “affirm the deep bilateral ties between the United States and Germany,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.
The first item on Merkel’s visit schedule was breakfast with Harris at her residence, the Naval Observatory. Merkel was the first foreign leader hosted by Harris at her residence since moving in.
Following their meeting, Harris wrote on Twitter that they held a “wide-ranging discussion.”
“We discussed strengthening democratic institutions and the transatlantic relationship, and addressing shared challenges like health and climate. @POTUS and I will work to deepen the U.S.-German partnership,” she tweeted.
Biden and Merkel held a one-on-one in the Oval Office Thursday afternoon, followed by an expanded meeting with key staff and a joint press conference.
During the meeting, Biden and Merkel were expected to discuss the “full range of policy issues” in their bilateral relationship, a senior administration official said. This could include climate change, COVID-19 and increasing global vaccine access, health security and shared security challenges, such as Afghanistan and Libya.
Biden and Merkel were also expected to talk about regional issues, like Russian cyberattacks, China’s growing influence, Ukraine’s independence and human rights violations, according to the official.
One of the most highly anticipated items of discussion between Biden and Merkel was the ongoing dispute over the Russian gas pipeline, Nord Stream 2. The U.S. feels that the pipeline, which moves natural gas directly from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, provides Moscow with disproportionate power over the European energy sector.
Preceding the meeting, the senior administration official said that Biden will “raise his longstanding concerns” about the pipeline, but the White House isn’t expecting any “formal announcement” or “deliverable coming” after the conversation.
Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, the lead Republican for the House Foreign Affairs GOP, urged President Joe Biden to encourage German Chancellor Angela Merkel to “adopt a more clear-eyed policy” toward the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and “malign actions of the Chinese Communist Party.”
The representative issued a statement ahead of Biden’s meeting with Merkel, calling the pipeline a “Russian geopolitical weapon” that “must be stopped.”
Florida Senator Marco Rubio also sent a letter to Biden urging him to press Merkel to stop the completion of the pipeline for Ukraine’s sake. The senator said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reliance on gas and oil transported through Ukraine curtails his ability to “bully” Ukraine.
Additionally, transit fees for gas paid to Ukraine allow it to bolster its military to protect against any foreign threats, Rubio said.
The senior administration official said that Merkel will join Biden for a small dinner Thursday evening, along with other individuals who have been “strong supporters” of the relationship between the U.S. and Germany.
Biden and Merkel are expected to release the Washington Declaration, outlining guiding principles for the ongoing bilateral relationship between the U.S. and Germany, after their White House meeting.
A senior administration official said that the declaration will “lay out the broad principles and values” that shape the relationship between the U.S. and Germany and act as one of the main concrete deliverables that come out of the visit.
The U.S. and Germany are also collaborating in the development of the Futures Forum, which will host a range of Germans and Americans to “analyze and propose solutions” for global issues, according to the official.
Merkel will attend a dinner Thursday evening with Biden and more than 20 others, including Hilary Clinton, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The live updates for this event have ended.
The list, totaling more than 20 people, also includes U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and New Jersey Governor and former U.S. Ambassador to Germany Phil Murphy.
In televised remarks from the Oval Office before the commencement of the meeting, both leaders spoke about how much they valued the relationship between the U.S. and Germany.
“One of the things I want to talk about is the enduring friendship the chancellor has been so responsible for nailing down and making sure it continues,” Biden said.
Biden said that he and Merkel would speak alone for a while, and then bring in some key staff for an expanded meeting.
Merkel recognized their earlier meeting at the G7 Summit in June, and expressed that she was looking to talk more about their bilateral relationship and other topics, such as neighboring countries and geopolitical issues.
Vice President Kamala Harris met earlier in the day with Merkel, and the two had a “wide-ranging” discussion over a working breakfast, she wrote on Twitter.
“We discussed strengthening democratic institutions and the transatlantic relationship, and addressing shared challenges like health and climate. @POTUS and I will work to deepen the U.S.-German partnership,” she tweeted.
Rubio wrote that completion of the pipeline would endanger “democratic allies” of the U.S. in East and Central Europe. The senator said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reliance on gas and oil transported through Ukraine curtails his ability to “bully” Ukraine.
Additionally, transit fees for gas paid to Ukraine allow it to bolster its military to protect against any foreign threats, Rubio said.
“Completion of Nord Stream 2 robs Ukraine of one of the few advantages it has over the Putin regime,” Rubio wrote in the letter.
“I further call on you to press Chancellor Merkel to support Ukraine against Russia’s aggression,” he added.
He called the partnership between the U.S. and Germany “ironclad” and asserted their joint commitment to working on “shared challenges” in the upcoming years.
A senior administration official said that the declaration will “lay out the broad principles and values” that shape the relationship between the U.S. and Germany, as well as highlight their joint commitment to confronting “shared challenges.”
The Washington Declaration will be one of the main concrete deliverables that come out of Merkel’s final official visit to Washington, the official said.
The U.S. and Germany are also collaborating in the development of the Futures Forum, which will host a range of Germans and Americans to “analyze and propose solutions” for global issues, according to the official.
The representative issued a statement ahead of Biden’s anticipated meeting with Merkel during her Thursday White House visit, calling the pipeline a “Russian geopolitical weapon” that “must be stopped.”
“Above all, he must make clear the U.S. will immediately rescind the ill-conceived national interest waivers on critical Nord Stream 2 sanctions,” McCaul said in the statement. “President Biden and Chancellor Merkel need to realize Berlin could never sufficiently mitigate the severe consequences to Ukraine and European energy security if the pipeline is operationalized.”
Lou Forster, chair of the Johns Hopkins University board of trustees, said that it was a “privilege” to award her the degree during the ceremony.
“The purpose of an honorary degree is to recognize and celebrate extraordinary human achievement in a manner that aligns with the values, commitments and aspirations of the Johns Hopkins University,” Forster said. “Chancellor Merkel joins an illustrious group of political leaders of Germany, becoming the fourth since 1976 to receive this honor.
Merkel thanked the university for the honor and spoke on the differences in the world since her last visit to the U.S. in 2019.
“It means a great deal to me because this Doctor of Humane Letters, this honorary doctorate shows the friendship between our countries and the particular ties between myself and the Johns Hopkins University, as well,” she said.
