Plane Glitch Alters Secretary Rubio’s Munich Trip

A mechanical issue forced a plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio to return to Washington, disrupting his journey to the Munich Security Conference. Despite the setback, Rubio plans to continue his travels on a different aircraft. It's unclear if the delay will affect his Munich meeting schedule.

A mechanical issue forced an Air Force plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Sen. Jim Risch to halt its journey to Germany on Thursday. The aircraft, bound for the Munich Security Conference, returned to Washington following a problem 90 minutes into the flight.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce confirmed the plane, a converted Boeing 757, experienced a cockpit windshield issue. The incident led to uncertainties regarding whether Secretary Rubio would miss his meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Munich.

Despite the setback, Secretary Rubio plans to continue his travels to Germany and the Middle East using an alternate aircraft, ensuring his participation in crucial diplomatic discussions.

(With inputs from agencies.)