Hurricane in the US affects the meeting on Ukraine in Ramstein

9 October, 2024 Pentagon. Photo from open sources A powerful hurricane in the United States has affected the upcoming Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in the Ramstein format in Germany.

The meeting was to take place on Saturday, October 12, with the participation of Volodymyr Zelensky and Joe Biden. Sabrina Singh, a spokeswoman for the Pentagon, said the department is deciding whether to postpone the meeting due to Hurricane Milton and the change in the US President's plans. "Due to Hurricane Milton, President Biden is no longer traveling to Ramstein to participate in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

We are still working on how this will affect the Secretary's schedule," the Pentagon spokeswoman said. When asked whether they plan to postpone the Ramstein meeting and combine it with the NATO defense ministers' meeting on October 17-18, the US Department of Defense stated that they have no final decision yet.

Sabrina Singh. Photo credits: Pentagon

"We are just now figuring it out.

So, when there are updates, I'll be sure to let you know. As you know, the President just canceled his trip this morning. So we are working on those details.

We will let you know when we know more," Sabrina Singh said. The White House previously announced that Joe Biden had postponed his trip to Germany due to preparations to respond to Hurricane Milton, which is expected to hit Florida. The American President, with President Volodymyr Zelensky's participation, was to chair a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format.

According to experts from the US National Hurricane Watch Center, this hurricane threatens to become one of the most destructive in the country's history.

US military assistance

Before his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky on September 26, U.S. President Joe Biden announced the allocation of nearly £8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, particularly to support the defense industry.

Launcher of the Patriot PAC-3 system with MSE missiles. Photo credits: U.S.

Department of Defense

As part of this aid package, the US President instructed the Pentagon to provide Ukraine with an additional Patriot air defense battery and missiles for these SAMs.

Greek pilot inspects dual launcher with JSOW

Ukraine will also receive Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) bombs from the United States, which can hit targets at a distance of 130 kilometers.