WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden pledged $425 million to Ukraine’s defense against Russia on Wednesday as he prepared to travel to Germany to celebrate the unified front of Western allies.

Biden spoke by telephone to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine about the security package, which includes munitions, armored vehicles and other weapons, the White House announced.

The package comes as Biden is set to travel to Germany on Thursday for a brief trip that is likely to be his last visit to Europe as commander in chief. He will use the opportunity to remind the world of the importance of alliances just three weeks before the U.S. presidential election. Former President Donald Trump has criticized U.S. aid for Kyiv as he campaigns for another term in office.

Biden will meet with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany before returning to the United States on Friday.

In Scholz, Biden has found a reliable partner in efforts to support Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia.

— The New York Times