Munich Security Conference: The Meeting That Moves Nations

By: Hrach Chtrkyan

Every year, the world's most powerful leaders meet to deliberate on global security at the Munich Security Conference. Based in Munich, Germany, world leaders convene to discuss war, peace, and other current issues. The attendees of this meeting include: Heads of State, NATO officials, UN leaders, Foreign and Defense Ministers, Military Leaders, Tech Experts, and Security Experts (Bunde et al., 2025). A fundamental shift in transatlantic relations, the "Zeitenwende," meaning Germany’s ability to have a full army, and a US policy shift on Ukraine are only a few of the major accomplishments of this meeting.

The most pressing issue discussed at the Munich Security Conference is the growing transatlantic crisis, marked by rising tensions between the United States and Europe. A major source of this conflict has been the United States’ increasingly confrontational stance toward its European allies. One notable example is President Donald Trump’s attempt to assert control over Greenland by questioning Denmark’s ability to ensure its security and calling for immediate negotiations to acquire the territory. Trump further escalated tensions by threatening to impose tariffs on countries that opposed U.S. claims over Greenland, a move widely viewed in Europe as an unacceptable breach of alliance norms. As Ross (2026) argues, imposing economic pressure and territorial demands on allies undermines the foundation of transatlantic trust. This erosion of trust has been compounded by U.S. foreign policy decisions regarding Ukraine. Steven Everts notes that European concerns intensified when the U.S. restricted weapons support for Ukraine and, in a striking departure from past alignment, voted alongside Russia and North Korea against a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Moscow’s aggression on February 24, 2025. These actions have reinforced European perceptions of the U.S. as increasingly unpredictable and unreliable. Trump’s rapid reversals of long-standing policies, driven by his “America First” approach, have further destabilized transatlantic relations, particularly in trade and security. While this crisis originated in miscommunication and unilateral decision-making, it can only be resolved through renewed dialogue and cooperation between allies.

The 2025 security conference further addressed the deepening crisis in transatlantic relations between the USA and Europe. A crucial idea that was discussed was that the world is becoming “multipolar,” meaning power is spreading across many global centers instead of one dominant ruler, that ruler being the US. While some countries see this as an opportunity, others worry about instability, weaker global rules, and rising conflict. The 2025 security conference brought to light many possible conflicts that could arise if they don't make any changes in how the world is operated.

To address the concerns discussed at the conference, European nations will accelerate the process of boosting their own defense capabilities. In addition, by Europe enhancing its own defensive abilities, we will also see the acceleration of multipolarism as the world becomes more independent. There is also a large push to go beyond just discussion; people want to see action with a focus on full security reforms and defending international law. You can expect transatlantic relations, AI superintelligence, other global conflicts, and the revitalization of multilateralism to be discussed in the 2026 conference, which takes place on Feb 13-15.

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Works Cited

Connor, R. (2026, January 16). Munich Security Conference withdraws Iran’s invitations. dw.com. https://www.dw.com/en/munich-security-conference-withdraws-irans-invitations/a-75540795 

Munich Security Conference 2026. (n.d.). Munich Security Conference. https://securityconference.org/en/msc-2026/ 

Bunde, T., & Eisentraut, S. (2025). Westlessness reloaded? Key takeaways from the Munich Security Conference 2025. https://securityconference.org/assets/02_Dokumente/01_Publikationen/2025/MSC_2025_Debrief_Westlessness_Reloaded_Key_Takeaways_From_the_MSC_2025.pdf

Low trust: navigating transatlantic relations under Trump 2.0. (2025, October 21). European Union Institute for Security Studies. https://www.iss.europa.eu/publications/chaillot-papers/low-trust 

Event: Transatlantic Relations in Crisis - European Perspectives. (2026, January 22). GMFUS. https://www.gmfus.org/event/event-transatlantic-relations-crisis-european-perspectives

Ross, T. (2026, January 20). Trump’s Greenland threats push Europe toward divorcing America. POLITICO. https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-greenland-tariff-threats-tensions-push-europe-allies-toward-divorcing-america-transatlantic-power/ 

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