Saturday 25 June 2022 10:54 PM Biden arrives in Europe for G7 and NATO summits to keep Western allies united ... trends now
President Joe Biden arrived in Europe on Saturday to kick off two major international summits where world leaders will discuss the next steps in helping Ukraine battle the Russian invasion.
He landed in Germany for a meeting of G7 leaders - the heads of the top seven economies - and then heads for Madrid for a NATO summit.
Biden exited Air Force One to a red carpet welcome - complete with flags flying and a band playing. A large group of people in traditional Bavarian dress greeted him, along with Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soder.
Two children, also in traditional dress, gave hm a bouquet of flowers.
Biden also signed the Golden Book of the Bavarian state government.
The president then headed to Schloss Elmau in the Bavarian Alps, where the G7 meeting is taking place.
His official meetings start on Monday and include a sit down with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a working lunch with G7 leaders on the global economy and the family photo.
Biden will also formally launch a global infrastructure partnership and end the day with a working dinner along side his fellow leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.
President Joe Biden arrived in Germany on Saturday night for the G7 summit, he was greeted by Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soeder and people in traditional German dress
President Joe Biden signs a guest book after arriving in Munich, Germany, as Markus Soder, Minister-President of Bavaria, stands next to him
Children in traditional Bavarian clothes welcomed President Biden with flowers upon his arrival in Germany
President Biden arrived in Germany on Saturday night for the G7; he leaves on Tuesday for the NATO meeting in Madrid
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soeder, right, and President Joe Biden talk with children Daniela Hauser and Marco Keller after they gave Biden a bouquet of flowers upon his arrival in Germany for the G7 meeting
President Joe Biden shakes hands with greeters in traditional dress upon his arrival in Munich
President Biden at his arrival in Germany for the G7 meeting where the main topics will be Russia's invasion of the Ukraine, food insecurity, and China's growing influence
Russia's invasion of the Ukraine will top the list of concerns but the leaders will also discuss othe pressing issues such as food insecurity, economic inflation and the concern about China's growing influence.
The G7 leaders intend to announce a ban on importing gold from Russia,according to report.
Gold is Moscow’s second largest export after energy. The United States has already banned Russian oil and Western allies have done partial bans in an effort to cut off Vladimir Putin's money supply.
'A large focus of the G7 and the leaders are going to be, you know, how to not only manage the challenges in the global economy as a result of Mr. Putin's war, but how to also continue to hold Mr. Putin accountable and to make sure that he is being subjected to cost and consequences for what he's doing,' White House spokesman John Kirby said during a briefing with reporters on Air Force One in route to Germany.
Biden is under pressure to do more to support the government of Volodomyr Zelensky, amid accusations that he has been too slow to deliver aid.
And it comes as Ukrainian forces are retreating from the battle in Donbas, outgunned by the Russian war machine. Russia also launched dozens of missiles on several areas across the country far from the main battle front in the east.
While prime ministers and presidents of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and
