End of an era. Five conclusions from the Munich Security Conference that will go down in history

BBC News Ukraine reports that global media and analysts are assessing the significance and predicting the possible consequences of the annual global security conference held this past weekend in Munich.

According to BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet, experts are already unanimously calling the conference historic, agreeing that it marks the beginning of a new era of international cooperation.

“There is a deep awareness that the old ‘transatlantic partnership’—the strong alliance between the US and European countries—has ceased to function,” she writes.

“Over the past few days, many European leaders have had the chance to confirm their worst fears about building relationships with President Trump’s team,” the correspondent adds.

They were told in no uncertain terms that they should not count on having a seat at the negotiating table for ending the war in Ukraine.

Moreover, Ukraine itself will not even be included in the upcoming US-Russia negotiations on this issue, scheduled for next week.

“Europe must rise. We have to decide what to do next, how to give Ukraine the opportunity to determine its own future independently,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna emphasized as he left a meeting convened by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

An emergency meeting of several European leaders has already been scheduled for Monday in Paris. They intend to discuss the EU’s response measures—primarily ways to strengthen their own resolve and mobilize available resources as effectively as possible.

According to Lyse Doucet, many delegates at the Munich conference admitted to her that this year, they were simply “overwhelmed” by the sheer number of ideas coming from President Trump’s team on ending the war in Ukraine and other key issues—some of which were completely contradictory.

For Europe, this moment will be decisive, Doucet predicts:
“Relations with Washington need to be rebuilt, and as quickly as possible,” she asserts. “There is too much at stake.”

And BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner writes that five key lessons must be drawn from this year’s Munich conference.  

1. The era of international relations as we knew them is over.

   Europe no longer has the post-World War II security architecture it once relied on. While the U.S. remains a NATO member, Europe can no longer automatically count on American assistance in the event of an external attack.  

2. The global approach to Ukraine has undergone a radical shift.

   The U.S. and Russia plan to negotiate a deal to end the war in Ukraine without considering the opinions of either Ukraine itself or Europe as a whole.  

3. More spending is needed immediately.

   If European countries intend to continue deterring Russian aggression—and most experts agree they must—they will have to ramp up defense spending as quickly as possible.  

4. Vance’s speech.

   Many conference participants found U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance’s attacks on European policy offensive. However, his speech resonated with many on both sides of the Atlantic, and President Donald Trump even called it “brilliant.”  

5. Widespread disunity and growing divisions.

   Clear differences now exist between Washington and Europe on several key issues. Meanwhile, members of Trump’s team frequently contradict one another—and even themselves.

Tags: EU munich security conference russia ukraine war security guarantees trump USA