U.S. President Joe Biden will not travel to Germany this week as Hurricane Milton is set to impact Florida in the coming days. The White House announced the decision to postpone the visit, citing the projected path and intensity of the hurricane.
The postponement will allow Biden to “oversee the preparations for Hurricane Milton and ongoing relief efforts following Hurricane Helene,” according to an official statement. Biden was also scheduled to visit Angola, but this visit has been postponed as well. It remains unclear when these visits will be rescheduled.
Biden was originally set to arrive in Germany on Thursday for his first visit to the country in nearly four years as president. On Saturday, he was expected to attend an international summit at the U.S. Air Force base in Ramstein, where representatives from around fifty NATO member states would discuss further military support for Ukraine.
German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit expressed regret over Biden’s cancellation but stated that he understands the situation. “The White House had informed us in advance,” he added.
First Helene, Now Milton
Hurricane Milton marks the second major hurricane to threaten the U.S. in a short span. Just a week and a half ago, Hurricane Helene devastated the southeastern part of the country, resulting in at least 225 deaths and ongoing recovery efforts.
Last night, the U.S. weather service classified Milton as a category five hurricane, the highest level. Although it has slightly weakened this morning, Milton still poses a significant threat to Florida and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The hurricane is expected to make landfall in Florida on Thursday.
