The US and Germany will stand together against Russian aggression, President Joe Biden said as he welcomed outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel to Washington, writes BBC.

Mr Biden said he had voiced concern to Mrs Merkel over a Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline, but they agreed Moscow cannot be allowed to use energy as a weapon. The US president said the two allies also opposed anti-democratic actions by China.

Mrs Merkel, who has worked with four US presidents, is leaving office.

“We stand together and will continue to stand together to defend our eastern flank allies at Nato against Russian aggression”, - Mr Biden said at joint news conference with Mrs Merkel.

He acknowledged the two did not see eye to eye on the nearly complete USD 11bn Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline. The White House has said it will be used by Russia as leverage over Ukraine and other neighbours. “Good friends can disagree”, - said Mr Biden, who recently waived sanctions against Nord Stream 2.

Angela Merkel, who became chancellor in 2005, is not running again in September"s elections. Her Christian Democratic Union leads opinion polls.