Pete Hegseth’s jet has made an emergency landing after the high-stakes NATO summit on Russia-Ukraine war.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell posted on X Wednesday afternoon, saying the Secretary of War’s plane had to make an unscheduled landing because of a crack in the plane’s windshield.
‘The plane landed based on standard procedures and everyone onboard, including Secretary Hegseth, is safe,’ Parnell said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued his strongest statement to date on Wednesday at the meeting of European Defense leaders at NATO headquarters, warning that the United States will hold Russia accountable if it fails to pursue an end to the war in Ukraine—a clear indication of the administration’s growing backing of Kyiv.
Hegseth, sending a clear message to Putin: ‘If there is no path to peace in the short term… the US War Department stands ready to do our part in ways that only the United States can do.’
‘The US remains ‘clear-eyed about the fact that the most effective deterrents to Russian aggression are number one: a lethal, capable and European-led NATO, and number two: a combat credible Ukrainian military,’ Hegseth said.
According to Flight Radar, the plane, a Boeing C-32A, was leaving Belgium but during flight an emergency was declared while flying over the Atlantic, which made them return to the United Kingdom.
His latest remarks contrast sharply with his stance during his February visit to NATO headquarters, where he suggested that US attention would pivot away from Europe in favor of more urgent challenges elsewhere in the world.
Daily Mail reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
Parnell posted on X Wednesday afternoon, saying the Secretary of War’s plane had to make an unscheduled landing because of a crack in the plane’s windshield