The reason for the change in the US President's plans is hurricanes Milton and Helen.
President Joe Biden will not attend the Rammstein meeting, he postponed his planned trip to Germany and Angola to focus on the hurricane response Milton, the second major storm in two weeks to hit the southeastern United States.
Bloomberg reports this.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced the change in the president's plans in a statement on Tuesday, October 8, citing “the projected track and strength of Hurricane Milton” and the ongoing response to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which struck the United States last month.
Category 4 storm Milton is expected to cause widespread damage and threaten lives as it approaches Florida. Millions of people have begun to evacuate the Florida coast, including the city of Tampa.
The decision, less than a month before Election Day, underscores how the administration's response to the disaster has become a potential flashpoint in the race for the White House between former Republican President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The trip to Germany and Angola, scheduled for October 10-15, was Biden's first overseas trip since he dropped the presidential race in July and endorsed Harris.
By the way, Donald Trump, as president in 2019, canceled a trip to Poland because of the hurricane Dorian.
The White House previously noted that the issue of support for Ukraine will be an important part of this visit.
“Speaking about Ukraine and Ukrainian self-defense – this will be an important part of this visit: continuing this support, continuing all possible actions to stop Russian aggression,” Jean-Pierre said.
Biden planned to arrive in Germany on the evening of Thursday, October 10. Meetings with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz were scheduled in Berlin. On Saturday, October 12, Biden was supposed to go to Rhineland-Palatinate, where a meeting on Ukraine will be held at the American air force base in Ramstein.
Recall that according to The Washington Post, at Ramstein, Ukraine will be offered specifics on joining NATO.
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