On Thursday in what was likely the European leader's final appearance at the White House before she steps down from her long-held position this fall.

The ongoing dispute between the United States and Germany over a Russian gas pipeline, called Nord Stream 2, played out between the two leaders in the Oval Office on Thursday, according to Biden.

"While I reiterated my concerns about Nord Stream 2, Chancellor Merkel and I are absolutely united in our conviction that Russia must not be allowed to use energy as a weapon to coerce or threaten its neighbours," Biden said during a joint press conference alongside Merkel.

"My view on Nord Stream 2 has been known for some time. Good friends can disagree, but by the time I became president, it was 90% completed and imposing sanctions did not seem to make any sense," he continued.

Instead, Biden said, the two leaders "have asked our teams to look at practical measures we could take together, and whether or not Europe's energy security, Ukraine's security are actually strengthened or weakened based on Russian actions."

Climate change, Covid-19 vaccines, Russian cyber attacks, Ukraine and shoring up their democracies were also topics on the agenda, an official said.

The visit came just three months before Merkel leaves her role as chancellor of Germany in October, after having served in the position for more than 15 years. Elections to replace the "chancellor of the free world" are in September.

Biden is the fourth US president with whom she's interacted. And on Thursday, Merkel said this marks her 23rd visit to Washington since becoming chancellor.

Administration officials have been consistent in describing the visit as a "working" session that is forward looking, despite Merkel's limited time remaining atop the German government. But after a decade-and-a-half of visiting Washington, her final trip to meet a US president was a moment to reflect on her legacy.

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