US President Joe Biden is expected to visit Germany next week, a government source said Sunday, after a previously planned trip was cancelled due to Hurricane Milton.
“He’s coming to Berlin on Friday” for a one-day visit, the source said.
German media reported that Biden will meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, with an important agenda on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The previous dates to visit Germany were between October 10 and 12 and included a four-way summit with Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
After withdrawing from the presidential campaign in July, Biden planned to fly to Angola shortly as a part of a series of valedictory overseas travels in the final months of his term.
He also formulated to hold a meeting of more than 50 of Ukraine´s allies to discuss further support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia´s invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had been expected to attend that meeting but instead went on a whirlwind two-day tour of European capitals, including Berlin, to ask for sustained military aid as Russia´s invasion of Ukraine grinds on through its third year.
However, on Tuesday Biden called off the visit to stay in the US and oversee the response to Hurricane Milton as it slammed into Florida, causing an estimated $50 billion in damage, killing at least 16 people and leaving millions without power.
Travelling abroad as the hurricane approached would have posed severe political risks at home just 28 days before a tight US presidential election.
Republican candidate Donald Trump has spread misinformation about the emergency response by Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee on November 5.
According to Spiegel magazine, the programme for Biden´s visit next week will be much reduced from the original plans, which had included an official state visit.
Nevertheless, Steinmeier is still anticipated to give Biden Germany’s Order of Merit in recognition of his services towards German-American friendship.
