Competing Visions of the West
This year’s Munich Security Conference brought together senior officials from the United States, Ukraine and across Europe, but beneath the formal speeches was a deeper tension: sharply different views about what the West represents — and where it is headed.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged European leaders to help “save” what he described as a shared civilisation. He argued that America has no interest in managing what he called the West’s gradual decline and warned against defending a broken status quo. While his tone was less confrontational than last year’s address by Vice-President JD Vance, Rubio’s core message was similar: Western policies on climate and migration have weakened the alliance, and change is needed. Still, he emphasized that the United States remains deeply tied to Europe, calling America a “child of Europe” whose destiny is intertwined with the continent.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she felt reassured by Rubio’s remarks. But the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, rejected the idea that Europe needs rescuing, dismissing claims that the bloc faces civilisational collapse.
Ukraine and the Shifting Power Balance
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used the forum to criticize Europe’s limited role in U.S.-brokered peace talks with Russia, calling its absence from the negotiating table a “big mistake.” He argued that Europe’s security and voice must be fully represented, especially since European nations now provide the bulk of military and financial aid to Kyiv and are expected to shoulder much of the burden for future security guarantees.
French President Emmanuel Macron has attempted to re-engage Moscow diplomatically, though with little tangible progress. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda suggested such efforts may be futile if Russian President Vladimir Putin is unwilling to negotiate seriously and Washington allows that dynamic to continue.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered one of the starkest assessments, declaring that the post-World War II rules-based order “no longer exists.” He warned that Europe can no longer assume its freedom is guaranteed and must prepare for a return to hard-edged power politics.
Nuclear Deterrence, Greenland and Europe’s Defence Future
Questions about America’s long-term security commitment to Europe loomed large throughout the conference. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Europe of underinvesting in defence and stirred controversy with remarks about taking control of Greenland. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the U.S. position on Greenland appears unchanged, stressing that Denmark’s territorial integrity is a red line. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen described outside pressure as unacceptable but reaffirmed commitment to NATO.
Meanwhile, Macron revealed that France has opened a strategic dialogue with Germany about how its nuclear deterrent could fit into a broader European security framework. The discussion reflects growing unease about relying solely on the U.S. nuclear umbrella. However, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that nuclear rearmament would be costly and dangerously risky.
Von der Leyen also called for strengthening the EU’s own mutual defence clause under Article 42(7), arguing that it must become more than symbolic. With an €800 billion plan to boost defence readiness, the bloc is seeking faster decision-making and deeper partnerships, including with the United Kingdom.
Taken together, the conference made one thing clear: the Western alliance is not collapsing, but it is redefining itself in real time — and not everyone agrees on what that future should look like.
