Even in Germany, it's hard for President Joe Biden to escape the topic of Donald Trump.
The U.S. president meets Friday with European allies for closed-door conversations about Russia's war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East . But with the U.S. presidential election just weeks away and the race extremely tight, there are worries that a Trump victory could upset the relationships that Biden is hoping to pass on to Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee.
Trump, the Republican nominee, has an appetite for tariffing key U.S. security partners. He's expressed indifference to the security of Ukraine, refusing to say during a presidential debate if he wants the U.S. ally to win its war against Russia. He's voiced doubts about coming to the defense of NATO members if they come under attack.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on the way to Berlin, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan rejected the notion that Biden wants to "Trump-proof" U.S. foreign policy, because of the political implications of that term. But Sullivan's stated goals seem designed to thwart efforts by a potential Trump administration to stop military aid to Ukraine after more than two years of fighting.
"What the president is trying to do is to make our commitment to Ukraine sustainable and institutionalized for the long term," Sullivan said. "And every other ally agreed that that was the responsible thing to do."
