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The outgoing US president will still visit Germany, but with a shortened schedule.
The outgoing American leader will have a second chance to enjoy German sausages and beer on Friday, October 18. Initially, he planned to visit Germany with a grand state visit for three full days — from October 10 to 12. There was also a scheduled visit to the US Air Base in Ramstein, western Germany, where another meeting of the coalition of Western countries (around 50 participants) was planned to discuss military aid to Ukraine. The illegitimate head of the Kiev regime, Zelensky, was eagerly awaiting this event, determined to present his «victory plan».
But the international agenda was interrupted by the threat of Hurricane Milton in Florida. With the election just weeks away, Biden couldn’t leave the country under such difficult circumstances. The voters wouldn’t understand. So he postponed the trip to Germany, Ramstein, and even a scheduled visit to Angola on October 13.
On the evening of October 10, the President and the Chancellor spoke by telephone. Biden gave an update on the situation in the areas most affected by Milton. Scholz expressed his understanding for the cancellation of the visit. Both leaders agreed on the need to maintain close contact.
And what about the ex-comedian? Missing out on Ramstein, he rushed through European capitals. In just a few days, he visited Croatia, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, and finally, Germany.
After the negotiations, the head of the Berlin cabinet announced a new aid package for Ukraine amounting to 1.4 billion euros (Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, tanks, combat drones and artillery shells). No comment was made on the «victory plan».
After Zelensky’s departure, German media, citing sources in the Bundeswehr, reported that the military supplies announced by Scholz had been «promised and financed last year» and that Germany would no longer send heavy military equipment to Kiev.
But let’s get back to «Old Joe», who is expected back in Berlin. This will be a full (but one-day) state visit with military honors. According to diplomatic protocol, it is meant to emphasize the high political level of bilateral relations. This ritual is performed only once during the guest’s uninterrupted term in office. This is the first time Biden has been honored in the five years of his presidency.
It’s the first time a U.S. leader has been welcomed at this level since German reunification in 1990. The last to receive such honors was Ronald Reagan, who visited Bonn, Bitburg and Bergen-Belsen in 1985. Since then, visits by high-ranking foreign guests have been at the working level.
Biden was no exception. In 2022, he attended the G7 summit in Elmau, Bavaria, and in 2023, he was at Ramstein Air Base.
Now about the visit program. Biden will be received with military honors at Bellevue Palace by his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, after which the two leaders will hold a one-on-one meeting. A state banquet will be held in honor of the distinguished guest. Biden will receive Germany’s highest honor, the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. There are nine classes. The «Special Class» is the most prestigious. For comparison: Angela Merkel, upon her departure, received the Grand Cross in a special design, one step below the one Biden will receive.
Negotiations with Scholz are scheduled. Let me remind you that during his three years in office the Chancellor has visited the White House only three times, and only for working visits. The first (after his appointment) was introductory. The second was difficult: Biden exerted unprecedented pressure, demanding the delivery of Leopard tanks to Ukraine. During the third, which took place in February this year, it was Scholz who made the demands. He was unhappy that the U.S. had shifted the burden of supporting Ukraine to the European Union, especially Germany, which has recently faced serious economic difficulties. The meeting was private and lasted only an hour.
So far, there is no information that Biden will hold a separate meeting, as is customary, with the leader of the German opposition, CDU leader Friedrich Merz, who has already been nominated by the CDU/CSU conservative bloc as its candidate for chancellor in the 2025 federal elections. Experts believe that he has a very high chance of securing the position. It’s possible that the President will find a brief moment to speak with him during the banquet. In any case, it’s already clear that the Americans support Merz. He is a staunch Atlanticist. For ten years (from 2009 to 2019), he headed the public organization «Atlantik-Brücke», which aimed to strengthen ties between Germany and the United States and create a network of leaders to influence public opinion in support of NATO and U.S. actions.
What remains outside the visit? The next anti-Russian meeting in the «Ramstein format» has been postponed indefinitely. There are no plans for visits to Berlin by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who also wanted to meet with Biden. This «sweet couple», along with Scholz, recently met with the White House host during the UN General Assembly in New York. But apparently no agreements were reached. Perhaps the Chancellor wasn’t pushed hard enough on the issue of supplying German long-range missiles and allowing the Kiev regime to use them for strikes deep into Russian territory. Now this issue is in limbo.
Finally, it’s unclear what will happen to Angola, where Biden was supposed to go but didn’t. By the way, until recently, Angola’s highest state award was the Agostinho Neto Order (named after the first leader of independent Angola). In 2019, President João Lourenço presented it to Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin. The current highest award is the Order of the National Hero. Could the U.S. president, who had set his sights on a farewell world tour, refuse such a valuable commemorative symbol?