Us secretary of state Marco Rubio's plane was an route to a security conference in Munich. The flight was only an hour long, but it was immediately diverted due to a crack in the windshield.
And so, top US diplomats senior officials, and the accompanying media team landed back to Andrews Air force base near Washington DC on Thursday night.
However, despite this emergency situation in the air, the focus of news was something else.
US Defense secretary Pete Heggseth surprised America allies in Europe with a speech he gave in which he outlined some conditions that some believe will be concessions Trump will make to Russia in exchange for an end to the war in Ukraine and peace.
Pete Heggseth said it was 'unrealistic' that Ukraine could regain its sovereig territory occupied by Russia.
He also called Ukraine's demand for NATO membership unrealistic.
He added that maintaining peace in Europe is not the responsibility of American soldiers, but of European soldiers.
Some Republicans in Washington strongly criticized Hegseth's speech, saying he had already eliminated all pressure on Ukraine before the talks.
According to him, this is tantamount to America surrendering to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, who is co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank, criticized them, saying, "It's certainly a unique way to negotiate, to make massive concessions before the talks even start".
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| IS secretary Morco Rubio had to return due to technical problems with his plane |
The next day Heggseth softened his tough stance, clarifying something and saying that in fact all options were still on the negotiating table so that President Trump could put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"What he (Trump) allows to do and what he prevents from doing is all within the jurisdiction of President Trump," Hegseth said.
Hegseth rejected the idea of making unnecessary concessions to Russia, claiming that he was simply 'pointing out realism'.
And here it is necessary to mention Marco Rubio again, who was delayed in arriving in Munich due to a plane malfunction. At that time, the authorities in Munich were giving a briefing on the priorities of the visit.
US officials said the US would work for a "just and lasting peace", with European countries helping to create a "stable security framework".
European leaders will now meet in Paris on Monday for emergency talks to ensure the full inclusion of these countries in any peace deal for Ukraine.
The position that the US Secretary of State was to present did not include any signs of setting any limits for Ukraine, as announced by Defense Secretary Pat Hegseth.
On the other hand, in Germany itself, Vice President JD Vance made a statement saying that the United States could use "military pressure" to force Russia into an agreement.
This statement appears to contradict Pat Hegseth's statement in which he said that US troops would not be deployed to Ukraine.
President Trump was briefed in the Oval Office about Hegseth's speech and its implications. He was also briefed on comments made by a Republican senator, who called it a "childish mistake" and claimed it was a script written by a pro-Putin analyst.
So did Trump know what Hegseth was going to say? According to President Trump, "Generally, yes, generally I knew."
He added, "I'll talk to Pete, I'll find out."
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| Pete Hegseth, who made important concessions to Russia, raised questions even among Republicans |
The three-day event provided the first significant indications of how President Trump is approaching one of the most important issues of his presidency: Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine and his promise to end the war.
Along with this, it also came to light how his administration was shaping its foreign policy and conveying its message.
Hegseth's speech, along with a lengthy account of President Trump's apparently cordial phone call with Putin about opening talks with Ukraine, has caused a stir in European capitals, although Hegseth has since tried to change his mind.
"Any hasty deal would be a mistake," said European Union foreign policy chief Kaia Kalas, referring to a potential US-led deal with Russia, which could potentially sideline Ukraine.
Then there is the question of how US foreign policy is being presented under Trump. What happened in Munich seemed in part to be an attempt by senior Trump officials to clarify and communicate their position, but the effort resulted in sometimes explosive and often contradictory statements, some of which were revised and some retracted.
It is unclear whether this is the result of a new but uncoordinated administration that is still trying to determine and clarify its direction internally.
On the one hand, government ministers are making statements that are creating ambiguity and complications. On the other hand, it seems that they will not only prioritize the last words of their president, but will remain loyal to him.
Trump's first term continued with the firing or resignation of senior officials who disagreed with him, including three national security advisers, two secretaries of defense, and one secretary of state.
This time, his appointments have been described as a show of loyalty and obedience to the president. Pat Hegseth, who had no previous experience running the military or government or agency, was a Fox News weekend anchor and former National Guard major who aligns strongly with Trump's thinking and agenda.
His appointment faced fierce opposition and through the confirmation process, three Republican senators voted against him, resulting in a tie and J.D. Vance casting the vote that end the coalition.
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| Regardless of these things, Ukrainian soldiers are busy stopping Russian troops on the front lines |
As Trump expressed last week, he agrees with the idea that Ukraine's accession to NATO should be left out of the negotiations because it is not practically possible.
Hegseth's comments were not much different from the president's position, but he was presenting it more clearly for an audience that wants to see Ukraine's negotiating position strengthened rather than weakened.
US foreign policy is becoming increasingly difficult to understand for affected parties and many countries around the world. One of its most prominent features is uncertainty. It is also possible that Donald Trump is deliberately using the "madman theory" in foreign relations. This policy is often attributed to former Republican President Richard Nixon.
According to this theory, a strong but unpredictable approach keeps allies close and serves as a means of putting pressure on adversaries. It also explains the perception that Trump's own officials sometimes go too far but still stay within the bounds of Trump's generally known stance.
However, as the name of this strategy implies, it also carries the risk of serious mistakes or miscalculations in an already violent and unstable world.
Similarly, Trump's recent proposals for Gaza, including a plan to expel the Palestinian population and turn it into a "Riviera of the Middle East," were full of confusion and contradictions.
His officials tried to explain that it would only be a "temporary relocation," but Trump later insisted that it would in fact be permanent and that there would be no right of return.
As for Rubio, he wants the State Department to be the most influential agency in Trump's decisions, and the statements of his colleagues in Munich had already dominated his own statements.
Their small replacement plane finally reached Europe. This time the windscreen was intact, but there was no media team on board. While most of the headline were telling other stories.
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