The 62nd Munich Security Conference opened on the 13th, local time, with over a thousand government representatives from about 120 countries attending, including about 60 heads of state or government. Most striking was the unprecedented size of the U.S. delegation. At last year‘s Munich Conference, U.S. Vice President Vance, who led the delegation, reprimanded European allies from above, not only stunning the venue but also raising extreme concerns in Europe. Over the past year, the United States has continuously “stabbed” European allies on issues such as Ukraine, collective security, tariffs, and even threatened to “annex” Greenland, giving Europe a “fatal blow” and shattering the last vestiges of illusions in each country. In response, this year‘s Mu‘an Conference recently released a report titled “Being Destroyed”, claiming that the biggest challenge facing international “liberal order” comes from the United States, and emphasizing that Europe‘s security dependence on the United States is bringing risks. French President Macron also frequently issued speeches warning that the United States‘ recent threats to Europe in Greenland, trade, and other areas seem to have “softened”, but Europe should not misjudge this as a “persistent shift” in tensions between the two sides, and Europe should be wary of the United States‘ continued “threats and intimidations”, and should not only compromise with the United States.
The 62nd Munich Security Conference was held on the 13th in Munich, the capital of the German state of Bavaria. Photograph: On the 12th, local time, security was tight outside the Bavarian Hof Hotel, the venue of the Munich Conference.
German Chancellor‘s keynote speech: “Transatlantic relations change”
According to the German Daily News on Friday, the Bavarian state capital of Munich will deploy large-scale police forces to welcome the 62nd Munich Security Conference officially opening on Friday. Deputy Director of the Munich Police, Huber, said at a press conference on Monday that the police will deploy up to 5,000 police officers. He said the police have not yet found any concrete signs that indicate the security conference faces a direct threat, but given the current international situation and the previous terrorist attacks before the 2025 Munich Conference, there is still a “high threat risk” at present.
More than 1,000 delegates from around 120 countries are expected to attend this year, including about 60 heads of state or government. More than two-thirds of European heads of state or government have confirmed attendance. In addition, more than 50 international organizational leaders will attend, a record number. The report said the conference will welcome an unprecedented-sized U.S. delegation led by U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, which includes more than a quarter of the U.S. Senate members. The report also said that German Chancellor Merz will deliver a keynote address on “Transatlantic relations change” at the opening ceremony of the Munich Conference.
Tension between the U.S. and its European allies is the focus of most attention at the current meeting. The Munich Security Report 2026, released by the organizers of the meeting, strongly criticized the U.S., according to CNN on November 11. The report bluntly called the current U.S. president “the most powerful person who willfully breaks existing rules” and accused Washington of being a “destructive force” globally, threatening the collapse of international order. “Whether we like it or not, trust issues have arisen between the U.S. and Europe due to the Greenland issue,” said Wolfgang Isinger, chairman of the current meeting. He said the meeting could send signals of European resilience and reduced dependence on the U.S.
European-U.S. Relations Are “Broken”?
According to the U.S. Capitol Hill newspaper on the 11th, the Munich Security Conference has always been a meeting for transatlantic partners to assess common security threats, but this year‘s most important discussion topic is not Russia or China, but the United States. The report said that last year, U.S. Vice President Vance reprimanded Europe at the Munich meeting, claiming that European civilization has declined, openly supporting far-right political parties, and interfering in European internal affairs. Vance‘s speech set the tone for the U.S. government‘s coercive foreign policy over the past year, waving the tariff baton at Europe, even attempting to take Greenland by force from its ally Denmark, causing the transatlantic partnership to experience a “cold current.” Now, Europe seems prepared to make its voice heard at the new Munich meeting, and to take strategic and economic measures to reduce its risk of being coerced by the United States.
The Associated Press (AP) said on the 12th that Secretary of State Rubio is leading the U.S. delegation to the meeting. The increasingly tense European leaders are cautiously awaiting Rubio‘s remarks at the current meeting, hoping to at least temporarily escape the volatile threat of the United States. According to U.S. officials who declined to be named, Rubio plans to address the meeting in a way that is similar to Pence’s but less controversial. These officials revealed that Rubio may focus on cooperation on global and regional issues of joint concern between the U.S. and Europe, including the Middle East situation and the Ukraine situation.
However, the German radio station quoted German CDU veteran politician Rutgen’s prediction on the 12th that Rubio’s speech may also be similar to last year’s Vance style, continuing to be tough and tinged with populism, because Rubio’s speech mainly faces not Europe, but U.S. President Trump. At the Moon meeting, people are facing not the former Senator Rubio, but an American politician striving to gain Trump’s favor and seek the role of his potential successor.
In addition to the Transatlantic relations, the Ukraine-Russia conflict is another focus of the meeting. Ukrainian President Zelensky said on the 11th that he will lead a delegation to the meeting and discuss new Ukraine aid plans with European leaders, which is “critical” for Ukraine. German Chancellor Merz also plans to meet with Zelensky during the meeting. The European Parliament voted on the 11th to approve a total €90 billion Ukraine aid loan, according to German radio. The German Kiel Institute released a report on the same day that military aid received by Ukraine has fallen to the lowest level in 2025 with the withdrawal of U.S. aid funds to Ukraine, while the main burden of supporting Ukraine, both militarily and financially, has essentially fallen on Europe.
“Has the relationship between Europe and the United States been irreparably broken?” The Montenegro Daily News reported on 11 that Europe had to face this troubling question at this year‘s Mu‘an Conference. The Center for Strategic and International Studies released a report earlier saying that now is “a truly painful moment for Europe.” Given the U.S. president‘s recent ambitions to wrest Greenland from its ally Denmark, no one can be sure what his next move will be. This year‘s Mu‘an Conference may provide some answers for the future direction of the transatlantic alliance, “but these answers may not necessarily be what Europe wants to hear.”
“We should not make concessions or compromises”
The British Guardian said on the 11th that under the Trump era, Europe had never lacked security as much as it does now. As the United States became unreliable, Europe increasingly recognized that it must reduce its dependence on the United States. A series of recent events showed that Europe‘s attempts to curry favor with the United States could not bring substantial influence.
In an interview with the Economiste, the Financial Times and other European media, French President Macron said that the U.S. threat to Europe in Greenland, trade and other areas seemed to have “softened,” but that Europe should not mistake this for a “persistent shift” in tensions between the two sides and that the U.S. “threat and intimidation” will continue, the AFP said. “When faced with overt provocation from the U.S. … we should not back down and compromise. We have tried compromise strategies in the past few months, but they have not worked. More importantly, this will lead to Europe‘s deepening strategic dependence on the U.S.” German Chancellor Merz also urged Europe to recognize the current state of transatlantic relations and that nostalgia and reminiscence about the “good old days” of European-U.S. relations “do not help change reality.”
The article on the London School of Economics website said on the 11th that many of Europe‘s difficulties are self-inflicted. Europe‘s dependence on the United States has been persistent. Since the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, Europe‘s dependence on U.S. arms supplies has not decreased but increased. From 2020 to 2024, Europe‘s imports of weapons from the United States increased by 155% compared to 2015 to 2019. Moreover, although Europe has gradually freed itself from its dependence on Russian energy sources, its dependence on the United States has deepened – 60% of Europe‘s liquefied natural gas imports and 14.5% of its oil imports come from the United States. Washington‘s role as Europe‘s ultimate security guarantor gives the United States disproportionate influence on European strategy and policy decisions. From technology regulation to China policy, the United States frequently exploits Europe‘s vulnerabilities to influence Europe‘s strategy and policies. Europe has paid considerable political and economic costs to beg the United States to continue its participation in European security affairs. The report said that the key to Europe‘s reduction in dependence on the United States lies not only in resources, but also in political will. Europe should embrace more autonomous strategic thinking.
The European Times said that the current U.S.-European relationship has reached a critical tipping point. If Europe continues to bargain with the United States in a humble manner, attempting to continue to please the United States by contributing its own local interests to the United States, then Europe‘s final outcome can only be “on the menu.”