Incident with Ursula von der Leyen’s Plane

On Sunday, a plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen experienced a GPS failure, which authorities suspect may have been caused by a Russian attack, according to sources from the Daily Call News Foundation. Fortunately, the aircraft managed to land without incident at Plovdiv Airport in Bulgaria, although the pilot had to rely on a paper map for navigation.

This event occurred during von der Leyen’s tour of various eastern EU “frontline states,” aimed at boosting support for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia. Arianna Podestà, a spokesperson for the European Commission, provided details, stating, “We’ve seen the GPS interference, but the plane landed safely.” She noted that Bulgarian authorities believe the incident may reflect Russia’s ongoing hostile activities, saying, “We are fully aware that threats are part of Russia’s usual approach.”

Von der Leyen’s visit was meant to reinforce EU backing for member states near Russia, which include Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Poland, Lithuania, and Romania. On this trip, she also met with arms manufacturers alongside Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Ziyazkov.

Podestà emphasized the need for vigilance, claiming that such incidents highlight the dangers frontline countries face due to Russian aggression. Following a series of airstrikes on Kyiv, a suspicious GPS attack also affected a building serving EU and British delegations.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is making claims regarding a peace agreement that involves security guarantees from Western nations. However, President Vladimir Putin appears willing to continue if Russia secures control over the Donbas region, which has a predominantly Russian-speaking population.

In a recent interview, former President Donald Trump remarked that a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Voldy Zelensky seems unlikely. He mentioned that U.S. military support could be crucial for Europe in efforts to conclude the conflict, indicating, “Sometimes you have to let things play out; people may not be ready to stop fighting just yet. This situation has gone on for too long—many lives have been lost.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry has yet to respond to inquiries regarding this incident.