Biden planning to convene ‘European Quad’ during Germany visit this week, officials say

Washington (CNN) — President Joe Biden is expected to revive a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Berlin this week, according to three Western officials familiar with the matter, as the top arms suppliers to Ukraine consider future support for a conflict that’s about to enter its fourth year.

The four leaders had planned to meet the prior week with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Ramstein Air Base, a meeting that was scrapped when Biden postponed his foreign travel as Hurricane Milton barreled toward the southeastern US.

Biden pledged to reschedule the trip to Germany, but the outlook for the meeting of the so-called European Quad, had been unclear.

Zelensky went ahead with his planned travel to Germany on Friday for a bilateral visit with Scholz, in which the German leader pledged an additional $1.5 billion in new aid.

The US, Germany, UK and France are all critical arms suppliers for Ukraine in its defense against Russia, delivering roughly $90 billion in direct military support since February 2022, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German think tank.

In recent weeks, Zelensky has embarked on a world tour to shore up support for his country’s defense against Russia, with the US presidential election raising questions about the sustainability of that aid. Zelensky met with Vice President Kamala Harris during a visit to Washington in September and met in person with former President Donald Trump, too.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

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