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...