An Air Force plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Sen. Jim Risch, to Germany for the Munich Security Conference was forced to return to Washington late Thursday after developing a mechanical issue.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, centre left, looks on next to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, centre right, as they attend a Foreign Ministers meeting during the Munich Security

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met his counterparts from the two nations on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

The crash occurred as the Germany city prepares for a security conference to be attended by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

An Air Force plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Sen. Jim Risch, to Germany for the Munich Security Conference was forced to return to Washington late Thursday after developing a mechanical issue.

On Sunday's Face the Nation, Margaret Brennan made a note of JD Vance's Munich Security Conference "lecture" and asked Rubio to respond to criticism.

Rubio and another senior official rejected concerns that Ukraine and other European leaders would have no place at peace negotiations, despite Trump's Ukraine envoy suggesting precisely that at this weekend's Munich Security Conference.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was headed to the Munich Security Conference, which begins Friday, along with Vice President JD Vance.

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the U.S. delegation to the Munich Security Conference that starts Friday in the southern German city, where world leaders and diplomats are gathering amid intense concern and uncertainty over the Trump administration’s foreign policy.

Vice President JD Vance will lead the U.S. delegation to the Munich Security Conference amid intense concern and uncertainty over the Trump administration’s foreign policy

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to attend a major security conference in the German city on Friday.

Zelenskyy believes Trump is the key to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and said the U.S president gave him his telephone number before Friday's opening of the Munich Security Conference. Trump upended years of steadfast U.