The US Secretary of State was en route to the Munich Security Conference when his plane abruptly turned back
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was en route to Germany on Thursday when his plane was forced to turn back toward Joint Base Andrews, just outside Washington.
“The plane on which Secretary Rubio is flying experienced a mechanical issue,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said, as cited by AFP.
“The plane has turned around and is returning to Joint Base Andrews. The Secretary intends to continue his travel to Germany and the Middle East on a separate aircraft,” she added.
The US Senate confirmed Rubio as secretary of state just hours after President Trump was sworn in on January 20. The trip to Germany to discuss the Ukraine conflict – and afterward to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to address the Gaza war – is his second overseas journey in this capacity.
Earlier in February, the top US diplomat delivered Trump’s ultimatum to Panama as part of his Latin American trip, which also included visits to Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic.
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