ISTANBUL
US President Donald Trump arrived in Switzerland on Wednesday to attend the World Economic Forum amid tensions over his bid to acquire Greenland.
Trump arrived a bit late as the presidential jet, Air Force One, had to return to Washington due to technical problems, Bloomberg reported earlier.
The president landed at Zurich airport after his initial aircraft returned to Joint Base Andrews outside Washington on Tuesday night. He then boarded a replacement plane and departed shortly after midnight.
Trump is scheduled to address global business leaders and policymakers at 2.30 pm local time (1330GMT), Bloomberg reported, citing a spokesperson for the World Economic Forum, who said the timing of the speech remained unchanged despite the delay.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the crew discovered a “minor electrical issue” after takeoff, prompting Air Force One to turn around “out of an abundance of caution.”
NBC News, citing a senior White House official speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump felt “emboldened” by the US military operation earlier this month that resulted in the ouster of Venezuela’s long-time leader Nicolas Maduro.
He is also encouraged by initial efforts to form a “Board of Peace” to help resolve international disputes, the official added.