Source: China State Council Information Office
The 61st Munich Security Conference, which kicked off on Friday, has underscored the complex challenges facing Europe and the urgent need for the continent to define its strategic role in an increasingly volatile global landscape.
From the persistent conflict in Ukraine to rising uncertainties in the transatlantic alliance, as well as mounting pressures on the EU’s vision for the international order, the conference focused on the multiple crises Europe faces. It also highlighted the need for the continent to navigate these complexities and assert its place on the world stage.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier addresses the opening ceremony of the 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, Feb. 14, 2025. [Photo by Gao Jing/Xinhua]
DEMANDING ROLE IN UKRAINE PEACE TALK
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking at the conference, said that once Ukraine reaches an agreement with the United States and Europe on how to end the conflict, he will be ready to hold direct talks with Russia. “I am ready to meet only in this case,” he stressed.
The announcement came days after U.S. President Donald Trump had held separate phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Ukrainian leader.
Following a 90-minute phone call with Putin, Trump announced that negotiations to end the conflicts would start “immediately.”
However, concerns ignited in Europe over being sidelined in peace talks.
On Wednesday, a joint statement by multiple European countries and the European Commission stated, “Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed this sentiment on Thursday, stating that “a dictated peace will never find our support” and stressing that peace must last and ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Addressing the opening of the conference, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said “everyone wants this war to end,” adding that how it ends will have “a lasting impact on our security order” and the power position of Europe and the United States.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that “a failed Ukraine would weaken Europe, but it would also weaken the United States.”
She expressed her concerns by saying that many in European security circles were “confused,” some even worried, by Washington’s recent comments.
TRANSATLANTIC TIES UNDER STRAIN
On Monday, the security conference released a report underscoring the challenges to the transatlantic relationship under the new U.S. administration.
The report expressed apprehension about a “more selective, often unilateral, international engagement” from the United States and warned that the United States could relinquish its historic role as Europe’s security guarantor.
Expressing his concerns about relations with the United States, Steinmeier said that the new U.S. administration has “a different worldview than we do,” one that disregards established rules, partnerships and trust.
“We cannot change that. We must accept that and deal with it,” he said.
The shift in responsibilities described in the conference report has already been reflected in actions taken by the new administration, such as imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports — a move the European Union deems unjustified and which “will not go unanswered.”
“We know how quickly tariffs can affect essential transatlantic supply chains,” said von der Leyen, reiterating that trade wars and punitive tariffs make no sense.
According to a survey conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations after the U.S. presidential election, Europeans have adopted a newly pessimistic outlook on the transatlantic partnership.
The survey revealed that Europeans increasingly view the United States less as an ally sharing the same interests and values and more as a necessary partner with whom they must strategically cooperate.
Europe’s current struggles to address its security challenges highlight the risks of over-reliance on the United States and foreshadow growing difficulties in the transatlantic partnership, Wu Shicun, president of the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, told Xinhua at the conference.
He said Europe’s current predicament in resolving its security issues “warrants reflection,” suggesting that dependence on the United States for protection would significantly limit Europe’s autonomy and influence on the world stage.
“I could sense at the (conference) that the future transatlantic partnership will face many challenges,” Wu said.
BRACE OR BE BLOWN AWAY
“Europe must use the potential for transatlantic tensions to get its act together and start working on necessary internal market reforms and boost European innovation and competitiveness,” Peterson Institute for International Economics commented in an opinion piece.
Home to the world’s highest concentration of developed countries, the EU, once the world’s largest economy, has seen a continuous decline in its competitiveness in recent years.
According to a flash estimate published by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, in the fourth quarter of 2024, seasonally adjusted GDP increased by 0.2 percent in the EU compared with the previous quarter.
The slow pace highlights the ongoing challenges facing Europe’s economy, with risks ranging from geopolitical tensions and persistent energy vulnerabilities to escalating trade disputes and political unrest.
A report titled “Multipolarization,” unveiled ahead of the Munich gathering, emphasized that Europe has been facing its most challenging geopolitical situation since the end of the Cold War, while underscoring the ongoing transformation of the international system into a more multipolar world.
“It is imperative that the EU diversifies its trade relations and forges new partnerships with countries of the so-called Global South,” said the report.
According to conference organizers, over 30 percent of speakers at this year’s conference will represent the Global South nations, ensuring their voices are heard in discussions on the evolving multipolar order.
As the global landscape is increasingly defined by crisis, Europe’s ability to determine its role and strategic path will be of paramount importance, said Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China.
In an interview with the Financial Times published on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron championed the need for Europe to “muscle up” on defense and the economy.
Trump’s designs on Gaza and Greenland were examples of the “extreme strategic uncertainty” the world is experiencing now, said Macron. This uncertainty demands a radical rethinking of how the EU and its member states operate. Macron has called on Europe to “wake up” and spend more on defense to reduce its reliance on the United States for its security.
“This is Europe’s moment to accelerate and execute,” said the French president in the interview. “It has no choice. It is running out of road.”
“A complacent shrug or a knee-jerk response to any soundbite coming out of the White House or Mar-a-Lago won’t be enough. Europe needs to take back control of its own destiny,” Carsten Brzeski, the global head of Macro for ING Research, warned in an article published in January.
“2025 really is a make-it-or-break-it moment for Europe,” said Brzeski. “Europe needs to change. And change fast.”
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