Obama to Host Germany's Merkel on February 9
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet President Barack Obama in Washington on February 9, the White House said Monday, with a fresh spasm of violence in Ukraine high on the agenda.
The German leader will hold an Oval Office meeting with her U.S. host, as the West prepares further sanctions against Russia for its role in stoking the unrest.
"The two leaders will discuss a range of issues, including Ukraine, Russia, counter-terrorism, ISIL, Afghanistan and Iran," the White House said in a statement.
Western governments and Ukraine have accused Russia of sending regular troops and arms to bolster the rebels and spearhead the latest offensive -- claims Moscow has repeatedly denied.
The rebels are equipped with the heavy weaponry of a regular army, hardware they claim to have captured from fleeing Ukrainian forces.
While some European countries remain reluctant to put in place tough new measures against Moscow, the United States is said to be considering supplying arms to out-gunned Ukraine.
Also on the agenda at the February 9 meeting will be "economic growth, international trade, climate change and Germany's plans for hosting the G-7 Summit in June" the White House said.
In Berlin, government spokeswoman Christiane Wirtz said Merkel would leave Germany on Sunday, and would visit Canada for talks with Prime Minister Stephen Harper ahead of a G7 summit she will host in June.
While in Washington, the German chancellor will meet with other high-ranking political leaders and businessmen to discuss the "global economy," Wirtz said.
Efforts to push through the world's biggest-ever free trade deal, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Pact (TTIP), are expected to figure prominently during the three-day tour.
US and EU negotiators began their eighth round of talks on the pact in Brussels on Monday, which after nearly two years remain bogged down by public opposition.
The fate of debt-mired Greece is also expected to play a major role in the talks.
The election of leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has thrown into doubt a carefully brokered German-led bailout that has been a point of contention between Washington and Berlin.
Obama's administration has repeatedly called on Germany not to impose a too strict regimen of budget cuts in exchange for assistance.
Obama recently said the Greek economy was in "dire need" of reform but warned that drastic changes were tough to implement in a struggling economy.
"You cannot keep on squeezing countries that are in the midst of depression," Obama told CNN.
Source: Agence France Presse
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