, ▁to ▁ensure ▁German ▁support ▁while ▁a ▁major ▁Soviet ▁off ensive ▁was ▁threaten ing ▁Finland , ▁thought ▁it ▁necessary ▁to ▁agree ▁to ▁the ▁p act ▁the ▁German ▁Foreign ▁Minister ▁Jo achim ▁von ▁Rib b ent rop ▁demanded . ▁But ▁even ▁then ▁M anner heim ▁dist anced ▁himself ▁from ▁the ▁p act , ▁and ▁it ▁fell ▁to ▁President ▁R isto ▁Ry ti ▁to ▁sign ▁it , ▁so ▁it ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Ry ti - R ib b ent rop ▁Ag re ement . ▁This ▁allowed ▁M anner heim ▁to ▁re voke ▁the ▁agreement ▁upon ▁the ▁res ignation ▁of ▁President ▁Ry ti ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁M anner heim ▁succeeded ▁Ry ti ▁as ▁president . ▁ ▁When ▁Germany ▁was ▁de emed ▁sufficiently ▁weak ened , ▁and ▁the ▁USS R ' s ▁summer ▁off ensive ▁was ▁fought ▁to ▁a ▁stand st ill ▁( see ▁Battle ▁of ▁T ali - I h ant ala ) ▁thanks ▁to ▁the ▁June ▁agreement ▁with ▁the ▁Germ ans , ▁Finland ' s ▁leaders ▁saw ▁a ▁chance ▁to ▁reach ▁a ▁peace ▁with ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁At ▁first , ▁attempts ▁were ▁made ▁to ▁persu ade ▁M anner heim ▁to ▁become ▁prime ▁minister , ▁but ▁he ▁rejected ▁them ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁age ▁and ▁lack ▁of ▁experience ▁running ▁a ▁civil ▁government . ▁The ▁next ▁suggestion ▁was ▁to ▁elect ▁him ▁Head ▁of ▁State . ▁R isto ▁Ry ti ▁would ▁res ign ▁as ▁President , ▁and ▁parliament ▁would ▁appoint ▁M anner heim ▁as ▁Reg ent .