Munich Security Conference - 2024. Ukraine is in the spotlight, the Russian Federation was not invited

Exclusive. On Friday, February 16, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) will start, which will be attended by leading political and military figures from around the world. About 50 heads of state and 100 ministers are expected to participate this year.

Zelensky with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier

The Munich Security Conference remains one of the most influential international platforms where global security issues are discussed. Ukraine remains in the center of attention of the conference at the same level as the Middle East.

The world community is faced with serious challenges, and is passing the test on the ability to effectively invest in its security.

The President of Ukraine will visit Germany and France on February 16, his office reported on Thursday, February 15. During the visit, the head of the Ukrainian state will hold talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.

On the next day, February 17, Volodymyr Zelensky will speak on the main stage of the Munich Security Conference, and will also hold a number of bilateral meetings. In particular, talks are planned with Vice President of the USA Kamala Harris, President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel, Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte.

According to The Washington Post, the only question that seems to be "hanging" this year is: "What exactly is happening in the United States?". "In Munich, Vice President Harris and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will try to convince European allies that the commitment of the United States to Ukraine and NATO remains unchanged," according to the publication. "But it seems they can't promise much about the next few months, let alone the next few years."

It is about the fact that during a political rally in South Carolina, Donald Trump mentioned what he called the "unpaid" accounts of NATO members and said that he had previously spoken with the head of a "big country" about a potential attack from the outside of Russia "No, I would not defend you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You have to pay," Trump told the unnamed foreign leader.

Donald Trump's words about refusing to protect NATO member countries, which will not spend less than 2% of GDP on military spending, caused a stir. However, even the propagandists gushing with optimism state that they were said in order to force them to pay more for the maintenance of the North Atlantic Alliance, as well as to indicate their dependence on the United States. Allegedly, the increased interest of the European allies in preserving NATO, the main strike force of which is the USA, will force them to meet all the demands of the Americans, including in terms of confronting China. Italy, which planned to participate in the Chinese project "Belt and Road", refused to cooperate, and the rest of the European countries simply did not agree.

The representatives of Russia and Iran were not invited to the Munich conference, since their political regimes only generate global problems and are not set up to solve them.

In addition, Putin and his clique use international organizations exclusively as a platform for broadcasting propaganda narratives. February 10 marked the 17th anniversary of the so-called "Munich" speech of the Russian dictator. He reproached the USA for the fact that they, dominating the international community, pursue policies guided only by their own interests. "This is the peace of one master, one sovereign. And this is ultimately disastrous not only for everyone who is within the framework of this system, but also for the sovereign himself," Vladimir Putin said. He called such a world order a "unipolar world", and from that time on, this record was simply jammed.

Subsequently, the dictator used his speech as a road map, warned the West about how he sees this very peace, to what extent he wanted to be seen as an equal party in these relations with the West. Not even just an equal, but a party whose interests are taken into account in the first place, which, in fact, is his key problem.

Vera Perovskaya