By ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS | THE NEW YORK TIMES

WASHINGTON - President Joe Eiden 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. Eiden 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 Eiden 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.

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

In Scholz, Eiden has found a reliable partner in efforts to support Ukraine and impose sanctions on Russia. Scholz has broken from Germany's post-World War II hesitation on global security matters to emerge as one of the largest financial contributors to Ukraine's war effort. But the support has come at a cost; the war has hit the auto and manufacturing sectors in Germany and rattled Scholz's approval ratings.

The White House has also credited Scholz for playing a key role in a complex prisoner swap that helped free three Americans from Russia.