Munich Security Conference sheds doubt on U.S. leadership of NATO
NATO members came together at the 56th annual Security Conference to discuss European Defense (Wikimedia Commons).
The 56th annual Munich Security Conference (MSC 2025) took place in the capital city of Bayern, Germany, from February 14 to 16. European and American NATO members met to discuss the future of NATO and its relationship with the Russo-Ukrainian war.
The conference was fraught with controversy, including a bashful speech by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and alarming implications that Europe would be left out of peace talks to end the Russian war in Ukraine. These worries follow comments from U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who called on NATO’s European members to spend far more on the continent’s differences. According to Politico, Hegseth indicated that American troops and defense funding would not be a guarantee in the future, saying that “what happens five or 10 to 15 years from now is part of a larger discussion.” European leaders have also made clear the importance of European security not depending on the U.S.
As reported by Euronews, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke about boosting European defense funding in a statement on February 14, saying “I will propose to activate the escape clause for defense investments. This will allow member states to substantially increase their defense expenditure.” Von der Leyen hopes to enable EU member states to increase spending without facing regulatory backlash or targeted fines from the Excessive Deficit Procedure. However, according to DW, Von der Leyen emphasized the significance of what Europe has already done to strengthen its defenses. She also spoke to the importance of having a strong Europe in regards to deterring authoritarian regimes from violating international borders.
On February 14, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference to discuss Ukraine. Despite Zelenskyy’s insistence that Ukraine and Europe be part of peace talks to end the Russian invasion, President Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine said that Europe would not be directly involved in peace talks, according to DW. However, as reported by Reuters, Rubio followed up with a statement the same day, clarifying that Europe and Ukraine would both be part of potential peace talks.
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance chose not to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Munich Security Conference. Vance delivered a controversial keynote speech criticizing European countries’ values and political atmospheres. According to DW, Vance had spoken about a “threat from within,” describing Europe’s retreat from historically shared values, criticizing abortion protest policy in Britain, and denouncing the exclusion of extremist parties in political institutions. Vance would also directly criticize the democracies of Germany and Romania. Many of the conference attendees would later speak out against Vance, calling his speech “ill-judged” and “insulting,” according to BBC. Criticism of the rhetoric that Vance used in his speech highlighted its reminiscence of Adolf Hitler’s rhetoric to justify the Holocaust. Despite this, Trump still called the speech “very brilliant,” according to The Hill.
Tensions between Europe and the US are rising, and the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War peace talks in Saudi Arabia, which exclude Ukraine or European representatives, are prompting Europe to look for new leadership. France, Germany, the U.K., and Poland are trying to take the lead.