‍

According to its chairman Christoph Heusgen, the Munich Security Conference, which starts on Friday, has rarely taken place in such an exciting time. On Monday, Heusgen compared the current situation with the first security conference following the Cuban crisis in 1962, when the Soviet Union brought the world to the brink of a nuclear conflict with the USA by stationing nuclear missiles in Cuba. Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, spoke at the opening event for this year's Security Conference of 120 active conflicts - with the corresponding consequences of flight and expulsion. “Please do not limit the topic of security to the military aspects alone,” he appealed to the participants of the conference, which is taking place from February 14 to 16.

‍

‍

The Security Forum, founded more than 60 years ago by publisher Ewald von Kleist, will be attended by a high-level delegation from the US Congress led by the new Vice President J.D. Vance, as well as the new Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Donald Trump's Ukraine representative Keith Kellogg. Experts expect him to present at least the outlines of a peace plan for the Russia-Ukraine conflict. French President Emmanuel Macron and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymir Zelensky will also be among the approximately 60 heads of state and government. From the EU, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Foreign Affairs Representative Kaja Kallas, new Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius and Parliament President Roberta Metsola are taking part.

‍

The latest Munich Security Report explored the question of the development of the international order, i.e. whether and how more and more state actors are having an impact on the international stage. An overwhelming majority of survey participants in eleven countries regard the USA, China and also Russia as major powers. 52 percent also think that Germany is a major power, but only 22 percent of Germans themselves agree. In other countries, too, the perception of oneself and others is sometimes very different. For example, only 46 percent of all respondents see India as a major power, but 78 percent of Indians themselves say that their country is a great power. gd

‍

‍