On the evening of October 17, President Joe Biden arrived at Berlin Schönefeld Airport aboard Air Force One, marking his first official visit to Germany during his presidency. During this visit, he is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other officials to discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plans for victory and the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
German media outlet Tagesschau characterized Biden’s visit as a combination of “inauguration and farewell.” The last U.S. president to make a bilateral visit to Germany was Barack Obama, who did so eight years ago.
Originally, President Biden intended to arrive in Germany on October 9 for a multi-day state visit, which included a trip with Chancellor Scholz to the Ramstein U.S. Air Base in the Rheinland-Pfalz region for a summit on Ukraine.
Biden’s visit also makes him the first sitting U.S. president to conduct a state visit to Germany since Ronald Reagan in 1985. However, due to Hurricane Milton impacting Florida, the White House announced a delay in Biden’s trip, which has since been redefined as an official working visit. As a result, the itinerary has been significantly shortened, with Biden set to spend less than 24 hours in Berlin.
On October 18, Biden will be welcomed with military honors at Bellevue Palace by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and will attend a state dinner. Steinmeier is expected to present Biden with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following this ceremony, Biden will hold bilateral talks with Chancellor Scholz.
Before returning to the United States later on the evening of October 18, Biden is also expected to participate in a quadrilateral meeting with Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The leaders of four of NATO’s most powerful countries will gather to discuss topics primarily focusing on Zelenskyy’s plans for Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.
