German foreign minister's trip disrupted by freezing rain, rerouted via train

2026-01-26 - 10:28

A scheduled diplomatic mission by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to Northern Europe faced significant disruption on Monday after severe winter weather in Berlin grounded his official aircraft. The minister was forced to reroute his journey via train, creating uncertainty around his planned high-level meetings in Latvia and Sweden. Weather grounds flight, prompts improvised travel Due to extreme freezing rain conditions that rendered Berlin's airports inoperable, the departure point for the minister's trip was moved from the capital to Leipzig. "Due to extreme weather conditions, the departure location was moved from Berlin to Leipzig to carry out the trip," a German foreign ministry spokesman explained. The spokesman added that it was not yet clear which of the minister's scheduled appointments would need to be postponed or rescheduled as a result of the travel complications. A delayed train journey and a packed diplomatic agenda To reach the alternative departure point, Foreign Minister Wadephul and his delegation traveled by train from Berlin to Leipzig. Reports indicated this rail journey itself was delayed by approximately one hour. From Leipzig, the delegation was scheduled to continue its travel aboard a German Air Force aircraft used for transporting senior government officials. The minister's original itinerary was packed, beginning with a meeting with Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics in Riga on Monday morning, followed by a keynote speech at a conference of Latvian ambassadors and bilateral talks with his Latvian counterpart. Focus on regional security in planned Stockholm talks The trip was set to continue later on Monday with a flight to Stockholm, Sweden. There, Minister Wadephul was scheduled to meet with Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Stenergard. The agenda for their discussion was expected to cover the latest regional developments and shared security threats, a topic of paramount importance for both NATO members in the current geopolitical climate. The disruption underscores how even meticulously planned high-level diplomacy can be impacted by forces of nature, a logistical reality familiar to foreign ministries worldwide, including that of Türkiye, which frequently manages complex international travel schedules for its leaders.