Biden to meet with allies in Germany, Spain amid Ukraine war

President Joe Biden will meet with allies in Germany and Spain in late June as he seeks to hold together the fragile coalition opposing Russia's invasion of Ukraine

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President Joe Biden will meet with allies in Germany and Spain in late June as he tries to hold together the fragile coalition opposing Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The White House announced Wednesday that Biden will travel to southern Germany on June 25 to attend a Group of Seven summit of leaders of the world's major industrialized nations. After the meeting in the Bavarian Alps, the president will go to Madrid on June 28 to participate in a gathering of NATO member countries.

The twin summits are being held around the four-month anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and as the United States and its allies are being urged to send longer-range and more advanced weaponry to Ukraine as Moscow looks to consolidate its gains in the country's east.

Biden's efforts to impose and sustain crippling sanctions on Russia are also facing renewed threat amid rising global inflation and supply shocks to the energy and food markets. The president also wants to secure admission to the NATO alliance for Sweden and Finland, but first must help overcome opposition from NATO member Turkey.

The G-7 members are the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Leaders will discuss their support for Ukraine, climate change, global health security, and the food and energy crisis worsened by Russia's aggression toward Ukraine, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

NATO leaders are set to endorse plans to guide the alliance's transformation over the next decade, including strengthening deterrence and defense, addressing transnational threats such as cyber and climate, and deepening partnerships with democratic partners in Europe and Asia, she said.