A powerful snowstorm hitting the U.S. East Coast has prompted the White House to delay a meeting between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel until March 17.
Merkel was already on her way to the Berlin airport to fly to Washington when Trump phoned her to inform her of the weather conditions, and they agreed to postpone the meeting originally scheduled for March 14, the White House said.
The delayed meeting will be the first between the two leaders. Their itinerary is set to include discussions on NATO, the Islamic State militant group, and the conflict in eastern Ukraine. They will also host a joint press conference.
The blast of late winter weather is expected to put a blanket of snow over much of the U.S. Northeast from Washington to Boston by March 15. Up to 20 centimeters of snow and sleet accumulation is forecast for Washington.