Heads of government, business leaders and U.S. officials have begun arriving in Munich ahead of the Munich Security Conference, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio among the first to touch down, signalling the close start of discussions on NATO, Arctic security and transatlantic ties.
The opening ceremony is set to feature remarks from the Chairman of the Munich Security Conference Wolfgang Ischinger, followed by a senior German official's speech, according to global media.
Discussions are expected to place particular emphasis on transatlantic tensions, with U.S.-Europe relations coming under close scrutiny.
According to Germany’s foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, recent comments from U.S. officials have caused irritation within NATO, setting the stage for dialogue.
“This alliance is also under pressure. There is alienation, there is irritation about some of the things we hear from Washington. We need to talk about this here together. We want to define our common denominators and the meaning of NATO,” he told the press ahead of the conference.
According to media reports, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen plans to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, amid lingering tensions following President Donald Trump’s previous proposal to acquire the island.
Rubio, leading a sizeable U.S. delegation, is also expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the conference.
Before departing for Munich, Rubio was asked whether Europeans should expect another combative address, similar to comments made last year by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, or a more conciliatory tone.
Rubio responded that officials would have to wait until Saturday, adding that he expects the speech to be “well received.” He said European leaders “want honesty” and “to know where we’re going, where we’d like to go, and where we’d like to go with them,” stressing that this is the U.S. delegation’s hope for the conference.
More than 50 members of the U.S. Congress, along with the governors of Michigan and California, are anticipated, according to chairman Ischinger.
Ischinger said the gathering will be a crucial forum to address the “considerable crisis of trust and credibility” in transatlantic relations, with Rubio expected to focus on U.S. foreign policy rather than domestic political disputes.
The Munich Security Conference, an annual meeting of security experts and policymakers, is expected to provide a key platform for tackling alliance cohesion, Arctic security and global geopolitical tensions.
This story is being updated.
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