BERLIN, Oct 5, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on
Wednesday he was "convinced" the United States would continue to provide
support for Ukraine despite political turmoil in Washington.

"I am very convinced that the American Congress will make the necessary
support for Ukraine possible," Scholz told reporters in Berlin following a
phone call by President Joe Biden to allies on the issue on Tuesday.

Biden spoke with Western leaders to calm nerves after new assistance for
Ukraine was dropped from a deal in the US Congress to avoid a government
shutdown on Saturday, amid opposition from hardline Republicans.

But Democrat Biden's hopes of quickly pushing through a new bill for Ukraine
were plunged into disarray shortly after Tuesday's call, when the same
hardliners axed Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in a rebellion.

Biden spoke with the leaders of key allies Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy,
Japan, Poland, Romania, the heads of the EU and NATO, and the foreign
minister of France.

In the call, he "reaffirmed the United States' commitment to supporting
Ukraine for as long as it takes as it defends its sovereignty and territorial
integrity, with fellow leaders echoing their commitments", the White House
said.

Scholz said after speaking with Biden, he believed "that among the
representatives of the Democratic Party as well as the Republican Party there
is a big, big number who agree precisely with this support (for Ukraine)".

"That is why I am convinced that it will succeed in the political process to
quickly approve this aid," in addition to aid that has been previously voted
on, he said.

"The message of the president was that one can absolutely continue to count
on the US also on this issue in future," Scholz added.

Washington has committed more than $43 billion in military assistance to Kyiv
since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Congress has
approved a total of $113 billion in aid including humanitarian help.

Germany is the second biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the
United States.