Media reports: Western leaders' high-level Ukraine meeting called off
The event was apparently canceled after US President Joe Biden withdrew to manage Hurricane Milton in the United States. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The planned meeting of the heads of state of Ukraine’s supporters in Germany has been canceled following the announcement that US President Joe Biden will not attend, according to a report by Reuters on Wednesday, which referenced an email from the US public affairs office at Ramstein Air Base. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty also indicated this development, citing anonymous NATO sources.
The gathering of the so-called Ramstein group at the military base was set to include remarks from Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, over 50 nations, including most NATO allies, formed the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. The defense ministers from these nations have regularly convened at Ramstein Air Base to address Kyiv’s military requirements and coordinate arms deliveries.
On Wednesday, Reuters reported that the "October 12, 2024 event is postponed," and that “announcements about future Ukraine Defense Contact Group meetings... forthcoming.”
Earlier in the day, RFE/RL noted that a “high-level meeting of the Ramstein group of Ukraine arms donors has been canceled.” This was attributed to President Biden’s decision to withdraw from his planned Germany trip.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned that “given the projected trajectory and strength of Hurricane Milton, President Biden is postponing his upcoming trip to Germany.”
Biden elaborated, stating, “I just don’t think I can be out of the country at this time,” and expressed hope to reschedule both the trip and “all the conferences I said I’d participate in.”
The president's visit had been slated for October 10-13 and would have marked the first state visit by a sitting US president to Germany in nearly 40 years.
Later that day, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller informed reporters that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken “was going to accompany the President and now is returning home” due to Biden's canceled trip.
Weather predictions have indicated that Hurricane Milton may be one of the most severe natural disasters to strike Florida in a century. The National Hurricane Center anticipates that Milton is likely to make landfall late on Wednesday.
The state continues to recover from Hurricane Helene, which devastated the southern US two weeks ago, resulting in extensive damage and at least 230 fatalities.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
The gathering of the so-called Ramstein group at the military base was set to include remarks from Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, over 50 nations, including most NATO allies, formed the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. The defense ministers from these nations have regularly convened at Ramstein Air Base to address Kyiv’s military requirements and coordinate arms deliveries.
On Wednesday, Reuters reported that the "October 12, 2024 event is postponed," and that “announcements about future Ukraine Defense Contact Group meetings... forthcoming.”
Earlier in the day, RFE/RL noted that a “high-level meeting of the Ramstein group of Ukraine arms donors has been canceled.” This was attributed to President Biden’s decision to withdraw from his planned Germany trip.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned that “given the projected trajectory and strength of Hurricane Milton, President Biden is postponing his upcoming trip to Germany.”
Biden elaborated, stating, “I just don’t think I can be out of the country at this time,” and expressed hope to reschedule both the trip and “all the conferences I said I’d participate in.”
The president's visit had been slated for October 10-13 and would have marked the first state visit by a sitting US president to Germany in nearly 40 years.
Later that day, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller informed reporters that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken “was going to accompany the President and now is returning home” due to Biden's canceled trip.
Weather predictions have indicated that Hurricane Milton may be one of the most severe natural disasters to strike Florida in a century. The National Hurricane Center anticipates that Milton is likely to make landfall late on Wednesday.
The state continues to recover from Hurricane Helene, which devastated the southern US two weeks ago, resulting in extensive damage and at least 230 fatalities.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
