DUBROVNIK: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived Wednesday in Croatia for a summit with Balkan leaders as his country pushes for more military aid as it struggles to repel Russian advances.
But a key meeting with international allies planned for Saturday was postponed after US President Joe Biden called off a planned visit to Europe as millions were warned to leave their homes in Florida because of Hurricane Milton.
Zelensky announced his arrival in the Croatian resort of Dubrovnik on the X social media platform and said the summit 鈥渨ill discuss international efforts to bring peace closer... as well as cooperation on the path to the European Union and NATO.鈥�

Zelensky has stepped up a bid to rally backing from allies amid doubts about future US support after the November presidential election.
The heads of state, premiers and foreign ministers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Turkiye were to join Zelensky and Croatia鈥檚 Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic at the talks.
The summit will show that the 鈥渨hole region supports Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the fight for freedom,鈥� Croatia鈥檚 Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said.
He pledged continuous 鈥渟olidarity with Ukraine... including military support.鈥�
The gathering in the Adriatic resort is the third 鈥淯kraine-Southeast Europe鈥� summit.
At the last one in Albania in February, Zelensky called for greater backing to help fend off Russian forces.
He has been pressing for more aid to counter Russia鈥檚 advantage in manpower and ammunition. Zelensky also wants clearance to use long-range weapons supplied by allies including the United States to strike military targets deep inside Russia.
A joint declaration at the end of the summit is likely to condemn Russian aggression, support Ukraine鈥檚 territorial integrity and Zelensky鈥檚 peace plan, push to prosecute war crimes in Ukraine and support Kiev鈥檚 European integration and NATO membership, according to the media.
Zelensky was also to attend an international meeting of more than 50 countries to discuss military support for Ukraine in Germany on Saturday.
But the meeting at the Ramstein air base 鈥渋s postponed,鈥� the US military said in a statement, without specifying a new date.
Zelensky had also pressed for greater military support at the last Ramstein meeting in September.
The US presidential election in November could compromise the billions of dollars of support that Ukraine receives from its biggest backer.
Republican candidate Donald Trump has repeatedly defended Russian President Vladimir Putin and voiced skepticism over US funding for Kyiv.
Plenkovic, who carried out his third visit to Ukraine since the invasion in February 2022, said that in the past two years EU member Croatia鈥檚 aid to Ukraine, mostly military, totalled 300 million euros ($329 million).
The Balkans summit is Zelensky鈥檚 first visit to Croatia.
The Ukrainian leader is expected to sign an agreement with Plenkovic on long-term support and cooperation between the two countries.
It will focus on Croatia鈥檚 experiences in prosecuting war crimes and removing mines after the Balkan wars of the 1990s.
But the meeting comes amid a domestic row between Croatia鈥檚 conservative government and President Zoran Milanovic over Ukraine.
Milanovic refused this month to back the government鈥檚 proposal to send Croatian officers on a NATO mission in Germany to train Ukrainian soldiers.
The president, who has limited powers but is the armed forces commander, said he would not allow Croatian soldiers to 鈥減articipate in activities that push Croatia into war.鈥�
The prime minister accused Milanovic of acting against national interests.
He called on lawmakers to reverse the president鈥檚 decision, which would require a two-thirds majority in a parliament vote.