US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden have decided to cancel their upcoming visits to Germany and Angola due to Hurricane Milton’s approach. The decision was announced by US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller, who explained that the president is prioritizing overseeing preparations for and the response to Hurricane Milton. This comes as the United States continues its ongoing response to Hurricane Helene in the Southeast region.
Blinken had initially planned on joining President Biden in both Germany and Angola; however, following the decision to postpone these visits, he now expects to return home to Washington from Laos. During his time there, Blinken was set to participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit and the East Asia Summit (EAS.
Biden had been expected to discuss matters concerning Ukraine and the Middle East with Western leaders later this week. The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Germany’s Chancellor, US President Joe Biden, and France’s President were all scheduled to meet in Berlin on October 12th. This meeting was intended to precede a gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which oversees the coordination of Western military aid for Ukraine. From there, these four leaders had planned to move on to Ramstein military base, where the Group was expected to convene.