Trump, Melania Forced To Switch Helicopter While Leaving UK Due To 'Hydraulic Issue'

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were compelled to change helicopters during their departure from the UK due to a "minor hydraulic issue," as reported by CNN citing White House sources.

The helicopter carrying the presidential couple experienced technical difficulties and had to make an unplanned landing at a local airfield, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

This incident necessitated the President and First Lady to transfer to a backup helicopter, causing a delay in their scheduled arrival at Stansted Airport in the United Kingdom.

"Due to a minor hydraulic issue, and out of an abundance of caution, the pilots landed at a local airfield before reaching Stansted airport. The president and first lady safely boarded the support helicopter," Leavitt explained in a statement to the traveling press pool.

The incident occurred as Trump completed his official visit to the UK on Thursday. Earlier that day, he participated in a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, where he spoke about various international relationships.

During the conference, Trump emphasized his strong relationship with India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, mentioning their recent personal communication and birthday wishes.

"I'm very close to India. I'm very close to the Prime Minister of India. Spoke to him the other day, wished him a happy birthday. We have a very good relationship. He put out a beautiful statement, too...But I said, I sanctioned them," Trump stated during the press conference.

Trump also addressed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, expressing disappointment in Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing the war. "He has let me down. I mean, he's killing many people and he's losing more people than he's, you know, than he's killing. I mean, frankly, Russian soldiers are being killed at a higher rate than the Ukrainian soldiers," Trump remarked.

The former and current US President acknowledged that resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict has proven more difficult than he initially anticipated, despite previously considering it to be "the easiest" international dispute to solve.

Trump also maintained his position that the war would not have occurred had he remained in office. "This was a thing that would have never happened had I been president. If I were president, it would have never happened. And it didn't happen for four years," he asserted. "Most people agree it didn't happen, nor was it close to happening."