The 62nd Munich Security Conference opened on February 13 in the Bavarian capital, drawing more than a thousand delegates, including over 60 heads of state or government and roughly 100 foreign and defence ministers. Wolfgang Ischinger, the conference chairman, used his opening remarks to warn that the transatlantic partnership is at a crossroads and urged a joint "transatlantic reset." He argued that a stronger Europe is now essential and that such strength can only be achieved if European countries stand united.
Ischinger described the security environment as uniquely severe for the conference’s history, citing what he called "bloody wars" in Europe, its neighbourhood and beyond. His stark language underlined the sense among many Western capitals that a string of overlapping crises—conventional warfare in Europe, instability in the Middle East, and the return of high-intensity strategic competition—has fundamentally changed the assumptions that shaped post-Cold War security institutions.
The high-level turnout at the Munich gathering reflects both the scale of the challenges and the continued value leaders place on face-to-face diplomacy. The conference has long served as a barometer of elite consensus on issues such as NATO cohesion, burden-sharing, and how to manage relations with revisionist powers. This year’s theme—renewing transatlantic ties while strengthening European capabilities—puts those questions at the centre of debate.
Why the rhetoric matters is simple: calls for a stronger, united Europe and a "reset" with the United States signal a potentially important recalibration of how defence and foreign policy will be organised in the coming years. European capitals are wrestling with whether to deepen defence integration, accelerate joint procurement, and take on responsibilities that Washington historically shouldered. At the same time, any movement toward greater European strategic autonomy will have ripple effects across global diplomacy, trade and competition with other major powers.
For international observers, the Munich meeting will be watched closely for concrete policy shifts: fresh pledges on defence spending, new mechanisms for arms and logistics cooperation, and the tenor of transatlantic coordination on sanctions and diplomatic responses. The outcomes will matter not only for how Europe manages immediate conflicts but also for the architecture of global geopolitics as states adjust to a multipolar world in which traditional security guarantees are under pressure.