Germany's Scholz meets Biden as the new chancellor's resolve on Ukraine is tested

As the standoff between Russia and the West enters a potentially decisive phase, President Joe Biden meets Monday at the White House with Germany's new chancellor, whose willingness to confront Moscow alongside the United States has been called into question.

Olaf Scholz took office in December, succeeding a towering figure in global politics -- Angela Merkel -- whose absence during the current crisis is being felt on both sides of the Atlantic.

Scholz arrives in Washington as Russian President Vladimir Putin has assembled 70% of the military personnel and weapons on Ukraine's borders he would need for a full-scale invasion of the country, based on US intelligence estimates -- though no one seems to know what his true intentions might be.

Amid the uncertainty, Biden is eager to demonstrate western unity against Putin's aggression. Ahead of the President's meeting with Scholz, US officials said the two leaders would spend most of their time together discussing the Ukraine matter, including a "robust sanctions package" being prepared to punish Moscow should an invasion go ahead.