U.S. Senator Chris Coons
Surprising reunion in Washington: Scholz meets his doppelganger
In July 2021, Olaf Scholz met his doppelganger Chris Coons once – at the time while he was still in office as German Finance Minister
© Xander Heinl / photothek.de / Imago Images
Chancellor Olaf Scholz flew to Washington to discuss military aid for Ukraine. In addition to a meeting with Joe Biden, a surprising encounter awaited him there.
During his short 24-hour visit to Washington Olaf Scholz not only met his counterpart Joe Biden. After his arrival on Thursday evening, the Chancellor first dined at the German ambassador’s residence with several US senators – including Scholz’s lookalike Chris Coons from the US state of Delaware.
The two have met several times, around 2021. At that time, Scholz paid a visit to the United States in his role as Finance Minister. The two last met at the economic summit in Davos in January 2023, reported the “Editorial Network Germany”.
Olaf Scholz and Chris Coons post a doppelganger selfie
Now, on the sidelines of his visit to Washington, the Chancellor took a selfie with Coons, which both politicians shared on the X platform (formerly Twitter).
“Who is who?” wrote the 60-year-old US senator and co-chair of Joe Biden’s campaign team about the photo, alluding to the resemblance to Scholz with a wink. He also posted a picture of himself and Coons and wrote: “Great to see my doppelganger again.”
Discussions about further aid to Ukraine
However, it was probably a short pleasure: On Friday afternoon, the Chancellor met with US President Joe Biden for an hour. Both want to discuss further military aid for Ukraine in the White House. It will also be about the Middle East conflict and the NATO anniversary summit to mark the alliance’s 75th anniversary in July. The USA and Germany are Ukraine’s most important arms suppliers for its defense against Russian attackers.
Scholz and US President Joe Biden want to prevent aid from Western allies from crumbling two years after the invasion. Republicans in Congress have been blocking Biden’s billions in aid for Kiev for months. Shortly before the Chancellor’s arrival, there was at least a small glimmer of hope: a billion-dollar aid package for Ukraine cleared at least the first procedural hurdle in the Senate. Further negotiations will now follow.