WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th May, 2022) US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discussed over the telephone the ongoing efforts to provide Ukraine assistance amid Russia's special military operation in the country, the White House said.
"President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany," the White House said in a press release on Thursday. "The leaders reviewed their ongoing efforts to provide security assistance to the government of Ukraine and humanitarian aid to the millions of Ukrainians affected by the violence."
Biden expressed his approval of Germany's provision of security assistance and the recent pledge of additional humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and highlighted the close partnership between the two countries during the Ukraine conflict.
Germany and a number of European Union member states asked to amend the sixth package of sanctions against Russia prepared by the European Commission, according to media reports. Berlin is asking for implementing tightened measures against Russia's Sberbank and limiting cooperation with Russia in the nuclear field.
However, there is no information on which measures were proposed by Berlin, although the European Commission does not plan to ban deals with Sberbank and freeze its assets.
In addition, disputes reportedly continue on the topic of the embargo on Russian oil. Hungary and Slovakia, which were granted an exemption and can buy Russian oil for 20 months, consider these exceptions as being insufficient, while the Czech Republic and Bulgaria want the same exceptions. Cyprus, Malta, and Greece have also expressed concerns about the oil embargo, as they believe their shipping companies will suffer from this measure, according to media reports.
