President Joe Biden and European Union leaders delivered a message of unity Friday on the Israel-Hamas and Ukraine wars, despite worries that political paralysis in Washington could hamper US aid for its allies.<\/p>\n
“These conflicts show democracies must stand together,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told reporters as she and European Council chief Charles Michel met Biden at the White House.<\/p>\n
The EU-US summit takes place against a backdrop of global crises, as Ukraine battles Russian forces while Israel gears up for an invasion of Gaza after the October 7 surprise attack by Hamas.<\/p>\n
The American and European leaders were keen to present a united front, seeking to strengthen their “strategic partnership.”<\/p>\n
Biden — who on Thursday drew a direct link between the two conflicts as he urged Americans to back a $106 billion aid package including military assistance for Ukraine and Israel — said the EU and US “stood together.”<\/p>\n
“We stood together to support the brave people of Ukraine in the face of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s aggression,” Biden said. “We’re standing together now to support Israel in the wake of Hamas’s appalling terrorist attack.”<\/p>\n