Rubio's Plane Returns after Mechanical Issue, Unclear if he Can Make Zelenskiy Meeting

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio disembarks a plane as he returns to Joint Base Andrews after the plane experienced a mechanical issue while flying him to the Munich Security Conference and turned around, in Maryland, US, February 13, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio disembarks a plane as he returns to Joint Base Andrews after the plane experienced a mechanical issue while flying him to the Munich Security Conference and turned around, in Maryland, US, February 13, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool
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Rubio's Plane Returns after Mechanical Issue, Unclear if he Can Make Zelenskiy Meeting

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio disembarks a plane as he returns to Joint Base Andrews after the plane experienced a mechanical issue while flying him to the Munich Security Conference and turned around, in Maryland, US, February 13, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio disembarks a plane as he returns to Joint Base Andrews after the plane experienced a mechanical issue while flying him to the Munich Security Conference and turned around, in Maryland, US, February 13, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool

A US Air Force plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Munich was forced to return to Washington on Thursday after experiencing a mechanical problem, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

"The Secretary intends to continue his travel to Germany and the Middle East on a separate aircraft," Reuters quoted Bruce as saying in a statement.

It was not immediately clear whether Rubio would be able to make it to a meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, planned for Friday morning on the sidelines of the annual Munich Security Conference.

The mechanical issue in the C-32 plane, a converted Boeing 757, related to a crack in the cockpit windshield, a US official said, forcing the plane to turn around about 90 minutes after taking off.

Rubio’s plane landed safely at Joint Base Andrews just outside the capital around 10 p.m. It had taken off around 7 p.m.



China, Russia Should Work Together for Middle East Peace, Beijing Says

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia July 9, 2022. Stefani Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia July 9, 2022. Stefani Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS
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China, Russia Should Work Together for Middle East Peace, Beijing Says

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia July 9, 2022. Stefani Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not pictured) meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia July 9, 2022. Stefani Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS

China's foreign minister told his Russian counterpart on Thursday that China and Russia should strengthen strategic coordination to promote peace in the Middle East, according to a ministry statement, Reuters reported.

Wang Yi said the two countries should push for a diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear issue, as he met with Russia's Sergei Lavrov in Kuala Lumpur, China's foreign ministry said.

"Peace cannot be achieved through force, and applying pressure won't solve problems," Wang said, adding that dialogue and negotiations were the way out.