“He unipolar order is over and the leadership of USA is being challenged (…). The vice president was right. JD Vance when he said that the old world order disappeared. Our task, as Europeans and Germans, is to recognize that reality.” With these words the German chancellor opened, Friedrich Merzthe Munich Security Conference (MSC)a meeting between powerful people focused on transatlantic relations. A year after Vance left the firmest Atlanticists stunned with his anti-European harangues from that same stage, Merz advocated “repairing” ties between the US and Europe. But at the same time he marked distances towards what the United States currently represents: “The movement MAGA it is not our movement (…) We do not believe in duty nor in protectionismbut in free trade. And we respect the climate agreements already World Health Organization“, he stated. He immediately disassociated himself from those who intend to “do without” the United States as great partners: “That is underestimating the potential of our relations with the United States, although these must change.”
Merz thus aligned himself among those who do not try to minimize the cracks that have appeared in the relationship with the United States with the return of Donald Trump to the White House. He insisted on his commitment to rearmament and its purpose of providing Germany of the “most powerful army in Europe”. And confirmed that he has addressed “talks on European nuclear deterrence” with the French president, Emmanuel Macronas leader of the only EU country with its own atomic weapons.
Rearmament as a shared ambition
NATO Secretary General Mark Ruttewhose docility towards the US president causes tension among some Europeans, chose to influence the progress in the rearmament that Washington demands from its European allies. “There has already been a change in mentality. Europa has taken a step forward and assumes its responsibility to the I’LL TAKE and in the face of his own defense,” he assured Ruttebefore a MSC erected as an unofficial test on the state of transatlantic relations.
“We have to rearm ourselves. As much and as quickly as we can,” was the message from the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksenupon arrival in the Bavarian capital. There the Danish leader announced that she will meet with the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who this year heads the American delegation.
The change in mentality to which Rutte alludes can already be measured in figures, recalled the president of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen. From the 8,000 million euros in defense of the last community budget for seven years, 800,000 million have now been mobilized for European defense. The objective is to “close persistent gaps”, according to Von der Leyen, who also highlighted the 100 billion euros granted to the SAFE joint purchasing program by Member States for defense projects.
May these efforts permanently appease Trump or move Europe once and for all toward a defensive autonomynow propelled by the hostile tone of the White House, is the dominant issue in the three days of discussions, debates and closed-door meetings in Munich. The fact that Frederiksen meets with Rubio raises the level of negotiations between Denmark and the United States regarding Greenland. Until now, Danish representation corresponded to its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lars Fokke Rasmussena tenacious politician and skillful negotiator.
Repair cracks or take a path of no return
The MSC is faced with the dilemma between repairing the damage caused by Trump to transatlantic relations or considering that it has entered a path of no return. Trump’s intervention in the previous great global forum between the powerful, in Davoswhere he ruled out a military intervention in Greenland, contributes to the conciliation represented by Merz. This announcement in Switzerland has been followed by the activation of NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission, with a significant European military contribution. Denmark will provide four F35s. This marks the end of a chapter of maximum toxicity in relations with Trump, who until now used the argument that the Danish government It did not properly defend the Arctic island, its autonomous territory.
The president of the MSC, Wolfgang Schinger, has ensured that there will be no shortage of critical American voices in this edition. The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, will intervene on Saturday before the MSC. A less virulent tone is expected from him than that set the previous year by Vice President JD Vance. His intervention was interpreted as the first warning sign that nothing was going to be business as usual in transatlantic relations. It occurred a few weeks after Trump’s return to the White House, who from then on has not spared hostile or even humiliating language towards European allies.
Ischinger has invited a group of 50 US senators and congressmen, including Democrats or critical voices within Republicans, to his forum. On the Democratic side, they are waiting for the governor of California, Gavin Newson, and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezboth exponents of the frontal opposition towards the president. And the former Secretary of State and former candidate for the White House will also attend. Hillary Clinton.
Strong report
The MSC already set certain guidelines with an annual report that warned against the “wrecking ball” that Trump represents for the world order. The generic title of this edition of the conference is “Under Destruction”, which, in the words of German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, reflects “the current complex moments.”
Roughness has been ironed out since Trump’s intervention in Davos. Frederiksen was not intimidated by the superpower, he defended that Greenland is not for sale and achieved the support of his main European partners. He did it from his position as leader of a deeply Atlanticist and prorreating country.
On Saturday, Frederiksen will share one of the MSC debates with the head of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchezand the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb. The Greenlandic autonomous president will also be present, although in a later session, Jens-Frederik Nielsen. The MSC is an intense program, spread over three days, with around 60 heads of State or Government, as well as around thirty ministers. There are many areas of global geopolitics “under destruction”, but transatlantic relations and European dilemmas dominate the event.
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