After the scathing speech by US Vice President J. D. Vance vs. Europe a year ago This year's Munich Security Conference takes place in a climate of mistrust and the reshaping of alliances. The 62nd session begins with the participation of more than sixty heads of state and government to discuss Atlantic alliances, the war in Ukraine, and technological security challenges. US President Donald Trump is the most prominent absentee, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio participates amid hopes for messages of reassurance and fears of adopting the same rhetoric as the current US administration.

Published on: 02/13/2026 - 16:26 Last updated: 02/14/2026 - 11:27

To view this content from YouTube, it is necessary to allow the collection of viewing rates and YouTube ads.

It appears that an application in your Internet browser is preventing the video player from loading. In order to view this content, you must cancel its use.

The 62nd session of the Munich Security Conference kicked off on Friday, amid an atmosphere of great tension and mistrust, with the participation of more than 60 heads of state and government, and a similar number of foreign ministers, in addition to 40 defense ministers. The Bayerischer Hof and Rosewood Munich hotels will host the conference activities over three days, with the participation of hundreds of experts in security issues, amid special interest in the war in Ukraine and the security repercussions of technological developments.

Leaders of the most prominent European powers will participate in the conference, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is opening the conference for the first time as chancellor, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. In his speech to the Bundestag, Merz called on Europeans to learn the language of political realism, stressing the importance of investing in European defense capabilities and building new partnerships with emerging democracies, while maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship with the United States, which remains “a partner and ally, not a follower.”

Read also: The United States abandons two NATO commands in favor of European allies and regains naval command

Trump is absent and Rubio replaces Vance

Regarding the United States, US Vice President J.D. Vance will not go to Munich, after last week he attended the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Italy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will take his place to deliver a speech on Saturday that is likely to reflect the same philosophy that Vance put forward in 2025, focusing on US foreign policy without touching on issues outside his purview, according to observers. The American delegation also includes prominent opponents of Trump, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom, who participated a few weeks ago in the Davos Forum, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Boston Mayor Michelle, and Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, among the participating Democratic figures, which reflects the Democratic Party’s endeavor to restore cooperation with Europe after the “first Trump” phase.

This diverse American presence comes to constitute a clear message about the United States’ desire to actively participate in European affairs without the leadership monopolizing the negotiations, especially with regard to the Russian-Ukrainian war, in which Ukraine is scheduled to host a new round of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations on February 17 and 18.

According to political analyst Mahmoud Al-Afandi, J.D. Vance “said clearly last year that the European Union countries had become undemocratic, and urged them to return to them. During the Munich conference that year, he also issued a clear warning of the necessity of returning to the so-called American partnership so that the two parties could cooperate. But Europe, in his opinion, did not implement that, and with the obstruction of the Ukrainian-Russian peace, it can be said that his mission was completed.”

He is known in the American administration as a hawk

Regarding the implications of Marco Rubio’s presence, the spokesman says, “The Secretary of State has harsher words than J.D. Vance, and he is known in the American administration as a hawk. Therefore, he is expected to put the dots on the letters and announce that he will establish relations not with the European Union as a single bloc, but with the European countries that share their geopolitical decisions and influence with Washington.”

Before boarding the plane Thursday evening, Rubio offered some reassuring words, describing Europe as "important to Americans." “We are closely linked to Europe,” he told reporters.

He added: "Most people in this country can trace their ancestry, both cultural and personal, to Europe. So, we have to talk about this."

But Rubio, on the other hand, made it clear that things will not go on as usual, saying: “We live in a new era in geopolitics, and this will require all of us to reconsider the shape of this era.”

Undermining existing rules and institutions

In Germany, many expect that the private meetings with elected Republicans will witness tense discussions. After the conference, the US Secretary of State headed to Hungary and Slovakia, two countries close to Donald Trump, which gives an indication of the nature of the visit.

For the most optimistic, the primary goal is dialogue, with the aim of bringing viewpoints closer between the two sides of the Atlantic. Public speeches and platforms are only the tip of the iceberg. Former ambassador and head of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, reminded that “what is going on beneath the surface is no less important, and perhaps even more so.”

According to observers, this year's conference reflects multiple challenges in terms of trust and credibility. In this context, the Munich security report entitled “Under Destruction” considered that the policies of some leaders, such as Donald Trump, fall within what he called “men of demolition,” by undermining existing rules and institutions.

The current session highlights changes in global dynamics, focusing on Europe's strategies for repositioning in the absence of Russia and the exclusion of Iran, and the absence of representatives of their governments due to existing conflicts and internal repression in Tehran. In return, representatives of the Iranian opposition and civil society will have the opportunity to make their voices heard. The conference also decided to re-invite the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party after two years of exclusion, while allowing three of its deputies to participate without giving official speeches.

Trump “no longer sees any kind of power in Europe”

While Trump is the most prominent absentee from the conference, about 200 government representatives from 120 countries are expected to attend, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who previously confronted Trump's demands regarding Greenland. This diversity reflects the conference’s endeavor to maintain its position as a platform for dialogue and debate despite the tense atmosphere across the Atlantic, with the discussion continuing to focus on regional disputes, security and technological developments, and the reformulation of European visions in the new world order.

Political analyst Mahmoud Al-Afandi believes that Trump's absence from the Munich summit was expected, because the American president "no longer sees any kind of strength in Europe. He has said several times that Europe is going to hell because of green energy policies, because of immigration, and because of economic weakness. Therefore, in his opinion, he no longer sees Europe as a suitable place to be present or to hold discussions."

From Munich, he is expected to announce that future American political relations will not include all European countries, but rather that there will be countries excluded and others that will be given priority in relations. The evidence, according to Al-Afandi, “is that after visiting Munich, he will not visit any of the major European countries, but will go to Hungary and Slovakia, which are two countries that support peace between Russia and Ukraine.”

Washington “will not deal with the European Union as a single bloc

Therefore, the spokesman adds: “There is what can be called the Trump Front, and it is a clear message, although the Europeans have not yet understood it, perhaps because of what is described as bureaucracy. According to this opinion, Europe has transformed from a democratic model to excessive bureaucracy, something that was prevalent in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and has returned today in a different form.”

The conclusion, according to this scenario, according to experts, is that the United States will choose European countries with which it shares ideas and geopolitical influence, and will not deal with the European Union as a single bloc.

Keywords related to the article

The content you want to browse is no longer in service or is currently unavailable.