One of the major questions for this year’s Munich Security Conference (MSC) is going to be: Will there be new steps regarding a peace process for Russia’s war on Ukraine? President Donald Trump upended three years of U.S. policy toward Ukraine on Wednesday, saying that he and Russian leader Vladimir Putin had agreed to begin negotiations on ending the war.
Trump said he spent more than an hour on the phone with Putin and "I think we’re on the way to getting peace". He noted that he later spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump and Putin will be meeting in Saudi Arabia as soon as possible to further discuss the issue.
However, before that the first step will take place at MSC: Trump’s VP J.D. Vance and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Zelenskyy.
On the agenda: global security challenges, democratic resilience, and climate security
What role will Europe be playing in this? Europe’s leading politicians and security policy experts are challenged to find strong answers at this year’s MSC taking place from February 14 to 16, 2025.
BR24 is broadcasting the main stage program live – embedded in this article.
On MSC’s first day, Germany’s Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will give the opening remarks. After that the conference’s main program will focus on global security challenges, including global governance, democratic resilience, and climate security.
NATO and the U.S.: Pay or prey?
On Saturday the main focus lies on the future of the transatlantic partnership: NATO, the U.S., and transatlantic security: Will it be pay or prey? The MSC will wrap up on Sunday with discussions on Europe’s role in the world.
Also, at the end of the third and last conference day, Jens Stoltenberg will succeed Christoph Heusgen as the new Chair of the MSC.