Ben Williams
Hour after US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivered a strongly worded warning to Putin at a tense NATO summit, his plane was forced to make an emergency landing on the way back home.
Hegseth had just wrapped up a high-stakes NATO summit in Brussels when his Boeing C-32A was forced to make an emergency landing in the UK.
Speaking to defense leaders in Brussels before the incident, Hegseth delivered one of Washington’s strongest warnings to Moscow yet.
He declared that if Russia refused to pursue peace, in the short term, the US and its allies would ‘take steps necessary to impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression’.
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No exact details were given as to what the US and said allies would do specifically, but it was a stern warning nevertheless.
It marked a dramatic turnaround for both Hegseth and the Trump administration.
Earlier in the year, the Defense Secretary had suggested the US would scale back its focus on Europe, unsettling NATO allies. Now, he was talking about a 'lethal, capable and European-led NATO' and a 'combat credible Ukrainian military' — language that made clear America’s stance had hardened.
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After delivering his warning, Hegseth might have been expecting a more relaxing ride back home, but his plane soon found itself in trouble.
The aircraft was flying back across the Atlantic on Wednesday evening when a crack appeared in the windshield, triggering depressurization concerns.
According to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, who later posted on X (formerly Twitter): “The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe.”
The jet was diverted to RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, where it touched down safely around 7pm.
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Moments later, Hegseth himself took to X, posting: “All good. Thank God. Continue mission!”
Hegseth's more hardline position on Russia has gone down well with some European allies.
Estonia’s defense minister Hanno Pevkur told reporters: “He confirmed once again that the US is a true ally and is committed to NATO, and this is exactly what also President Trump said.”
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Others were less sure. Germany’s Boris Pistorius said the speech showed 'a kind of change of perspective and approach, but not more for the moment'.
This incident has admittedly come with some cinematic-like timing. While US officials insist the cracked windshield was merely a technical malfunction, the incident occurred amid a series of suspicious flight disruptions across Europe.
In recent weeks, several military and diplomatic jets have reported GPS jamming suspected to be linked to Russian electronic warfare systems: including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a Spanish jet carrying defense minister Margarita Robles, and former UK defense secretary Grant Shapps.