Munich Conference Updates

At this year’s 62nd Munich Conference, an international meeting held annually in February, heightened tensions between America and foreign powers led diplomats and officials to struggle to recuperate from the collateral damage. The tension in the air was palpable, as in all G7 countries surveyed for the Munich Security Index 2026, only a tiny proportion of respondents say that their current government’s policies will make future generations better off. 

The first order of business discussed was Europe-US relations, headlined by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who called to “repair and revive trans-Atlantic trust together,” stating that even America cannot sustain itself without international and European approval in a post-pandemic political climate. Merz also declared the need for a “new trans-Atlantic partnership,” acknowledging that “a divide, a deep rift” has opened up across the Atlantic as he opened the Munich Security Conference, explaining that the post-World War II world order, “as imperfect as it was at its best times, no longer exists” today. 

French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron, alongside Merz, also took time to discuss nuclear defense and security, calling for a withdrawal of U.S. support and increased self-reliance. Macron declared that “Europe has to become a geopolitical power,” stating that “it’s ongoing, but we have to accelerate” in areas such as defense, security, and technology, and “derisking vis-a-vis all the big powers in order to be much more independent.” Compared to last year, the U.S. is adopting a more favorable stance toward Europe and NATO, respectively. 

In last year’s U.S. speech by Vice President JD Vance, he was staunchly anti-European, claiming changes since the Cold War and within the EU keep America and the rest of the continent at odds. This year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who sees Russia as an American threat, is less likely to cut Ukrainian funding. He urged Europe to become more self-sufficient and for nations to rely on their own funding, while emphasizing the important alliance between America and Europe as a whole. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated the importance of strong, long-term security guarantees for Ukraine and European integration as part of a sustainable peace strategy, while Ukraine and Germany announced a joint drone production facility, symbolizing deeper defense cooperation. European leaders stressed the need to build credible military capabilities to deter further aggression. 

In regard to China, a major theme is the growing rivalry between the United States and China in the Indo-Pacific. Freedom of navigation in the South China Sea is indirectly linked with stability around Taiwan, and concerns over militarization and regional coercion remain rampant.

Read more here:  

• Anders Hagstrom, Fox News 

• Kasie Hunt, CNN

•  Munich Security Conference 

• Max Rego, The Hill 

• CNN 

• Al Jazeera,  Zsombor Peter, Umut Uras, Nils Adler and Federica Marsi 

• The Guardian

• Reuters, Hugo Dixon 

• 2025 MSC Speech by JD Vance 

• Barron's 

• South China Morning Post

Extemp Analysis by: Ian Cheng

Question: What are the implications of this year’s Munich Security Conference for international security? 

AGD: When I saw Munich, what came to my mind was the soccer team Bayern Munich. I’d talk about their pretty much guaranteed league victory, but this likely isn’t what everyone would do. Be creative! 

Background: Define what the Munich Security Conference is and give context on the international security situation today: China and Russia as growing threats against Taiwan and Ukraine, while the US, which was previously more proactive,  is now pushing allies like the EU and Japan to become self-sufficient. Mention some other topics discussed, like the Arctic. You don’t have to talk about what exactly happened at the conference here, because that’s what you’re doing heavily in your points. 

Answer: Defining the current state of geopolitics

1. European commitment to defense 

• Example: Germany and Ukraine’s joint drone production facility

2. Rising tensions over the Arctic 

• Example: NATO’s new Arctic Sentry mission 

3. Continued ambiguity regarding Taiwan 

• Example: AOC’s remarks on the island 

There’s a lot of ways you could go about this question. For example, you could switch any of the points (probably 2 or 3) out for something about emerging technology (AI, etc.) in defense, or terrorism in the Sahel, located in Northern Africa. This is a descriptive question, so follow the a) Status Quo, b) Change, c) Impact substructure.