Munich Security Conference: how secure are we?
The 62nd Munich Security Conference is taking place against a backdrop of growing uncertainty. The Munich Security Report 2026 distributed to participants bears the cautionary title "Under Destruction". Europe's press recalls historical moments in past conferences, analyses the present situation and calls for bold visions for the future.
Number of nuclear powers could increase
It was at the security conference 15 years ago that then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov brought the non-proliferation treaty into effect with the exchange of the ratification documents, Diena recalls:
“The failure to extend the New Start treaty or conclude a new agreement not only hails the rapid demise of the current world order but also poses a credible risk of the number of nuclear powers increasing in the near future. .. In general, the erosion of international law and the growing fear and mutual distrust between states are forcing them to rearm and consider the possibility of acquiring their own nuclear arsenals. This certainly won't contribute to making the world a safer place.”
Even peaceful nations are arming themselves
La Stampa observes a general arms race:
“This is mainly due to three factors: the unscrupulous use of force by the major powers, the collapse of the last remnants of the nuclear weapons control system, and the intensification of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. ... This combination has triggered a race to boost defence spending, even in countries that consider themselves pacifist and have pacifist constitutions, like Germany and Japan. Or formerly neutral countries like Sweden. Or neutral countries like Switzerland. Without multilateral security architectures, without confidence in the guarantee of Pax Americana in the Atlantic and the Pacific, all we can do is focus on how to defend ourselves on our own.”
Losing sight of international law
In a Facebook post, political scientist Volodymyr Fessenko looks at how the Munich Conference Security Report addresses the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war:
“The key point will probably be that instead of viewing the Russian-Ukrainian war primarily as a matter of sovereignty and international law, this war increasingly risks being reinterpreted as a dispute to be discussed and resolved between influential leaders. This is precisely the approach Trump is pursuing. And in many respects this suits Putin. But it entails a great risk - both for Ukraine and for Europe. How this risk can be neutralised remains an open question, including for the discussions in Munich.”
Conquering countries sadly all the rage
Český rozhlas doesn't expect the conference to bring any major breakthroughs:
“There is no doubt about what will be heard in Munich in the coming days: in recent years, the modern world has become less and less guided by international customs, conventions or the opinions of global organisations such as the UN. Instead we are increasingly confronted with the will of authoritarian world leaders and their territorial aspirations. Whether it's Putin in Ukraine, Trump and his ambitions in Greenland and Iran, or Xi Jinping, who is persistently eyeing Taiwan. Even the respectable Munich Security Conference will not be able to do anything about these superpower tendencies and open aspirations that are currently in fashion, at least for the time being.”
Europe needs more impetus and a shared vision
L'Opinion recalls US Vice-President JD Vance's speech at the conference a year ago, in which he criticised Europe for its shortcomings in terms of democracy and freedom of expression:
“Since then, the mood has not changed. Panic continues to reign in the face of a new, imposed world order. ... In this geopolitical twilight, the EU can no longer afford to hesitate. It must find ways to accelerate its autonomy in terms of security, energy, technology and finance. After the disagreements in Munich, simplistic anti-Americanism cannot serve as a unifying force. Europe must be rearmed on the basis of the Franco-German friendship. ... With vigour and a shared vision.”