A European Commission representative accused the Russian government of interfering with the GPS systems of a plane carrying President Ursula von der Leyen while it was flying over Bulgaria on Monday.
Commission spokeswoman Arianna Podestà confirmed that von der Leyen’s plane safely landed at Plovdiv airport. The European leader is currently touring EU nations bordering Russia and Belarus.
“We can confirm that GPS jamming occurred,” Podestà stated. “The Bulgarian authority suspects that this interference was caused by Russia.”
“This incident actually underlines the urgency of the mission that the president is carrying out in the front-line member states,” she added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has continued attacks on Ukraine despite efforts to broker peace. (Sergei Ilyin/POOL/AFP/Getty Images)
This incident follows closely after White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s meeting in New York City on Friday with Ukrainian officials, as peace negotiations continue.
Witkoff met with Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, and Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s ambassador extraordinary.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for Western allies to impose further sanctions against Russia. (Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)
The meeting, according to administration insiders, was meant to update progress and reaffirm efforts for Ukraine and Russia to engage in talks to end the conflict.
