Germany’s Scholz heads to Washington, seeking a clear signal to Putin on aid to Ukraine

By GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has pushed for further U.S. and European aid for Ukraine as he set off for a visit to Washington. He declared on Thursday it’s time to send Russian President Vladimir Putin a “very clear signal” that the West won’t let up on supporting Kyiv. Scholz is to meet members of the U.S. Congress later in the day and President Joe Biden on Friday. His visit comes after wartime aid for Ukraine was left hanging in the Senate. Scholz didn’t mention that directly in a statement to reporters before his departure, and took no questions. But he said a key issue now is “how Europe, but also the United States, can perpetuate support for Ukraine.”