Remarks by President Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen Before Bilateral Meeting

Oval Office

2:12 P.M. EST
 
PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Okay.  Well, Madam President, welcome back to the White House.  Welcome back to the Oval Office.  And it’s — it’s always good to see you.  You’ve been doing an incredible job.

Two years ago, we committed to a new era of understanding between the EU and the U.S.  I told you then that times have changed from the previous administration and that we view the EU as a great addition to security and economic security.  And I thought we could benefit all our peoples, and I think we have.  I think we have.

And we stood with the brave people of Ukraine, providing security assistance and implementing historic sanctions that cut off Putin’s ability to fund and to fight his war in Ukraine and to make it harder for him.

We supported Europe’s energy security.  I remember you and I talking about launching the joint task force and whether or not we’d be able to provide enough liquefied natural gas.  We supplied twice as much as we thought —

PRESIDENT VON DER LEYEN:  Indeed.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  — we could.  It worked.  It worked.

PRESIDENT VON DER LEYEN:  This is really good.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  It worked. 
 
And at the same time, we’re driving new investments to create clean energy industries and jobs, and make sure we have supply chains available to both our countr- — our continents.  And the idea — under that idea is it underpins our — our Inflation Reduction Act, and it lies at the heart of the — your Green Deal Industrial Plan in the EU.  So, hopefully, we can talk a little bit about that today.

And finally, I want to thank you for your leadership on the Windsor Framework, which has protected the hard-earned peace that existed on the Good Friday — proceeds from the Good Friday Agreement, which I think has probably surprised a lot of Europeans how strongly so many Americans feel about that negotiated agreement.

And, Madam President, the steps the U.S. and the EU are taking over the last few years has increased energy security, its — our economic security, and, I would argue, our national security.

So, today, I look forward to talking about all that with you and anything you’d like to talk about.
PRESIDENT VON DER LEYEN:  Thank you very much, Mr. President.  It’s a pleasure to be here and an honor to be back again.  And it’s good to come back here because we are not only partners; the European Union and the United States are good friends.  And this could be felt throughout the whole work that we’re doing together.

Indeed, you helped us enormously when we wanted to get rid of the Russian fossil fuel dependency by — you helped us enormously by delivering more LNG, helped us through the energy crisis.

We are, as partners, strongly supporting together Ukraine, that fight for freedom and independence.  We’re making Russia pay for its atrocious war.  We’re strongly aligned in defending our values.

And indeed, today, I think we will also discuss the Inflation Reduction Act, and I think it’s great that there is such a massive investment in wind and clean technologies now. Indeed, we want to match it with the Green Deal Industrial Plan.

So, plenty of topics — topics to discuss together.  Thank you very much, again.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  I look forward to doing that.

PRESIDENT VON DER LEYEN:  Thank you.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Thank you.  Thank you.

2:16 P.M. EST