German chancellor says it’s ‘very likely’ that President Joe Biden could win a second term

• German chancellor Olaf Scholz said it’s “very likely” Joe Biden could be reelected in November.

• Scholz dismissed the idea that Biden was too old.

• Scholz also touched on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s new demands to end the Ukraine war.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz believes it is “very likely” that President Joe Biden could be reelected in November.

Biden has “pursued a policy that has led to proper economic development in the country, that has helped to ensure that peace and security are in good hands and that the US is actually playing its role in the world,” Scholz said in an interview with Axel Springer media outlets.

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“I think it’s a bit strange how people in this country are speculating about who will win the next American election. I think it is very likely that the current president could win the election,” said the German leader.

“He is committed to togetherness and cohesion in his country,” Scholz added.

Biden has faced concerns over his age and mental fitness. But the German chancellor dismissed such worries, saying the president is “very clear.”

He is “one of the most experienced politicians in the world, especially when it comes to international politics,” Scholz said.

“I can only say that this is a man who knows exactly what he is doing,” he added.

The German chancellor was speaking ahead of a Ukraine peace conference set to be held in Switzerland.

In a new poll by Reuters/Ipsos, 41% of registered voters said they would vote for Trump if the election were held now, while 39% said they’d vote for Biden.

However, the survey had a roughly three-percentage-point margin of error for registered voters, Reuters says, noting that a survey from the end of May showed Biden with a two-percentage-point lead over Trump.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the war in Ukraine would only end if Kyiv agreed to do away with its hopes for NATO entry and give up the four Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow.

Scholz said that the offer did not seem serious: “There can only be a peace that works for Ukraine and does not compromise its integrity and sovereignty. There cannot be a peace dictated by Russia.”

Scholz also underlined the importance of the G7’s decision to lend Ukraine $50 billion using frozen Russian assets.

“I think this is a message to Ukraine that it can count on us. But it is also a message to Putin that he should not rely on the fact that he just has to wait long enough and then support for Ukraine will fade away,” he added.

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