Trump cancels appearance with Polish President Duda in Pennsylvania

Author: Gram Slattery

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Donald Trump’s joint appearance with Polish President Andrzej Duda on a battlefield in Pennsylvania has been canceled, according to a source familiar with the Republican presidential candidate’s plans.

Trump and Duda had planned to attend a memorial unveiling at a Polish-American Catholic shrine north of Philadelphia on Sunday. Had the event gone ahead, it would have been a rare instance of a foreign leader appearing alongside a US presidential candidate on the campaign trail.

It was not immediately clear why the appearance was canceled or if Trump would meet with Duda elsewhere or at another location.

Voters of Eastern European descent have become highly sought after in the final weeks of the race between Trump and the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris. In particular, Pennsylvania is home to a significant number of Ukrainian-Americans and Polish-Americans. As the state is one of the most competitive in the nation, this demographic can help determine the outcome of the election.

Harris has said that Trump would not tolerate aggression from Russian President Vladimir Putin if he won the Nov. 5 election, a claim denied by the Trump campaign.

A who’s who of foreign leaders will arrive in the United States in the coming days for the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.

Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he will “probably” meet with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy next week and has also said he will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Polish Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Gram Slattery; Editing by Ross Colvin and Deepa Babington)