The summit on Ukraine at the US Ramstein air base in Germany, which was due to take place on Saturday, was postponed after US President Joe Biden canceled his visit to the Federal Republic due to Hurricane Milton. Today, this is one of the leading topics in the Western press, BTA writes.
"The delay is a setback for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who hoped to use the summit to rally Western allies around his so-called "victory plan" - a strategy aimed at strengthening Ukraine's positions on the battlefield so much that it would force Russia to sit at the negotiating table," the newspaper writes. "New York Times".
The forum, officially called the Contact Group on Defense Assistance to Ukraine, was originally scheduled for Saturday at the German Ramstein Air Base. The summit was intended to reassure Kiev, provide additional support and also demonstrate President Biden's strong support for Ukraine a month before Americans choose his successor, the newspaper noted.
US military officials at Ramstein confirmed the postponement but did not specify when it would be rescheduled. During his official state visit to Germany, Biden was scheduled to meet with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Those meetings have also been cancelled, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said.
The Ramstein forum was to be a central part of Biden's four-day visit to Germany, the British newspaper The Guardian reported. But it was also an opportunity for Ukraine to present proposals for a ceasefire, although it is unclear how this could be achieved. Russia is gradually gaining ground in eastern Ukraine and the Kremlin hopes that if Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wins the November election, billions of dollars in military support will be cut off, the publication notes. There was also speculation that concrete steps towards Ukraine's possible accession to NATO would be discussed at Ramstein, the Guardian added.
According to media reports, the 25th Ramstein Ukraine summit was to play a special role, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Szybiga said that "historic decisions" were about to be made, writes the German newspaper "Zeit". Zelensky announced that he would personally attend the forum in Germany in view of the fact that Biden would also participate in it, the publication notes. Both Zelensky and Biden have so far most often sent their defense ministers to "Ramstein". Biden's planned visit has given rise to speculation that significant commitments to Ukraine could be made at "Ramstein", "Zeit" also writes. One of the topics discussed would have been Kiev's request for permission to use American long-range weapons against military targets on Russian territory. There were also reports that Ukraine could be asked to make territorial concessions in exchange for an invitation to join NATO or other security guarantees, the German newspaper added.
Zelensky has been describing such a scenario for months as an acceptable end to the war from a Ukrainian perspective. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly ruled out the possibility of ending the war under these conditions, but Ukraine's supporters have so far not committed to taking steps such as joining the alliance, the publication recalls.
The German government does not want the cancellation of the meeting to be perceived as a sign of decreasing support for Ukraine, "Zeit" points out. Kiev can count on the support of Germany, the United States and other allies, German government spokesman Hebeschreit assured. "If we need to discuss something else, we can certainly meet as soon as possible," he added.
Although Biden postponed his trip to Germany because of Hurricane Milton, Zelensky will visit Berlin, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported.
Zelensky yesterday participated in the Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit, at which 12 countries from Southeastern Europe, including Turkey, agreed that one of the conditions for peace in Ukraine should be Russia's withdrawal from all Ukrainian regions. They also spoke in support of Zelensky's peace plan, as well as Ukraine's accession to NATO, the German newspaper noted.
Today, the British Prime Minister will receive Zelensky in London, and then the Ukrainian leader will talk with the new Secretary General of the alliance, Mark Rutte. Later in the day, the Ukrainian president will visit Paris to meet with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. At the Elysee Palace, Zelensky is likely to discuss the provision of additional military aid. This week, the French government said it would send Kiev the promised Mirage fighter jets in the first quarter of next year. Ukrainian pilots and mechanics are already being trained in France, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung notes.
Zelensky will arrive in Berlin tomorrow for talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The Ukrainian leader's visits to London, Paris and Berlin follow the postponement of the Ramstein summit, the German newspaper summarizes.