Rubio heads to Europe after plane suffers ‘mechanical issue’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio finally headed to Europe on Friday after his plane was forced to turn around due to a mechanical issue, the State Department said.

Rubio was headed to the Munich Security Conference on his second trip abroad when his plane abruptly turned back toward Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, according to an Agence France-Presse reporter with him.

“The plane on which Secretary Rubio is flying experienced a mechanical issue,” State Department spokeswperson Tammy Bruce said.

Later, a second, smaller aircraft carrying Rubio took off and headed for Europe, Bruce said, but without media.

Rubio was set to join US Vice President JD Vance in a meeting Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after President Donald Trump spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and said he would pursue diplomacy to end the war.

Rubio is set afterward to continue to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to discuss a fragile Gaza ceasefire.

He will also hold discussions on a proposal by Trump that drew outrage in the region to expel Palestinian residents of Gaza, which has been leveled by Israel in a 16-month war triggered by a Hamas attack.

Mechanical issues occur periodically for the top diplomat of the United States, which maintains an aging fleet of aircraft for dignitaries.