The path to peace or new challenges: what awaits Ukraine at the Munich Security Conference

From February 14 to 16, Munich will host the annual Munich Security Conference, one of the most important international platforms for discussing global challenges. This year, it will be held against the background of growing international tension, and its participants will focus on ways to stabilize the world security system. According to preliminary data, Ukraine will be represented at the event by President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. He is expected to deliver a speech outlining Ukraine’s vision for ending the war and achieving “lasting peace.”

From the United States, Vice President JD Vance and Special Representative for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg will arrive at the conference. There is information that Kellogg will visit Ukraine after Munich. The head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak will be among the representatives of the Ukrainian delegation. In an interview Associated Press he emphasized that Kyiv will present a clear position regarding the need to end the war and security guarantee mechanisms for Ukraine. One of the central topics will be the search for international mechanisms that will prevent the recurrence of aggression in the future.

Formats and participants of the Munich Conference

The Munich Security Conference (MSC) is one of the leading international forums on security and foreign policy issues. Founded in 1963, it brings together world leaders, policymakers and experts to discuss key security challenges through open speeches, panel discussions and closed meetings.

«Looking at the state of the world, it is important to maintain an expanded concept of security that includes not only military threats, but also material and social dangers and environmental risks», — emphasizes this year MSC chairman Christoph Heusgen.

The Munich Security Conference, which has a 61-year history, has repeatedly proven its relevance. It gives key foreign policy and security officials the opportunity to exchange ideas, collaborate and interact both among themselves and with the public.

Over the course of three days, participants will take part in speeches, panel discussions, thematic events and bilateral meetings where key challenges of international politics and security will be discussed. The format of the event includes both public discussions and closed meetings, creating conditions for dialogue and exchange of ideas.

The Munich Security Conference will gather about 60 heads of state and government, as well as 150 ministers and heads of international organizations. It is not yet known whether Donald Trump will participate in the work of the conference.

This year’s Munich conference will pass against the backdrop of important global and political changes, with a new administration just beginning in the US, the European Union starting a new legislative period, and Germany preparing for federal elections. Ukraine is waiting for the Trump Administration to publish a peace plan for our country. it was previously expected to be introduced by Keith Kellogg. Instead, he denied this information, saying that he does not have such authority and that US President Donald Trump will speak directly about peace.

The Munich security platform will be headed by Stoltenberg

After the conclusion of the 61st Munich Security Conference in February 2025, its new chairman will be Jens Stoltenberg, the former Secretary General of NATO. He will replace German diplomat Christoph Heusgen, who has headed the conference since 2022.

Stoltenberg emphasized that he has dedicated his political life to preserving peace, and he is honored to lead a platform that promotes conflict prevention and international dialogue.

With ten years of experience at the helm of NATO (2014–2024), as well as previous roles in the Norwegian government, including Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Energy, Stoltenberg is considered one of the world’s most respected security leaders. The president of the board of founders, Wolfgang Ischinger, expressed confidence that thanks to Stoltenberg’s global authority, the conference will play an even more important role in international security.

Ischinger will remain president of the MSC Foundation board, and Helga Maria Schmid, former Secretary General of the OSCE, will continue to be his deputy.

What will be discussed at the conference?

The main topics of the event include:

• Global Security Challenges: Managing International Processes, Protecting Democracy, and Climate Security.
• Regional crises and international order: ways to resolve conflicts in different parts of the world.
• Transatlantic partnership: prospects for cooperation between Europe and the United States.
• Global role of Europe: activation of its position on the international arena.

According to the Munich Security Report 2025, preserving the unity of the West is critical to protecting the values ​​of liberal democracy from autocratic challenges. Democracies must take a more active role in shaping the global order and offer their solutions to overcome crises — from climate problems to health threats.

There are no local problems in the global world

Today, geopolitical competition is unfolding at the global level. Europe, East Asia and the Middle East are examples where local conflicts can have global consequences. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions in East Asia caused production problems in Europe. The war in Ukraine caused global problems with food and energy security and became a factor that increased inflation around the world. The conflict in Gaza has sparked protests in Europe and Southeast Asia. Despite the debate about deglobalization, the world remains interconnected.

Such a relationship can mean that the world becomes a single stage for the rivalry of great powers. Indeed, geopolitical conflicts are unfolding globally. For example, by supplying weapons and sending troops, the two Koreas are fighting a proxy war on the European continent, complicating the situation on the Korean Peninsula itself. At the same time, Russia, intervening in Mali, Syria and North Korea, is trying to divert the West’s attention from Ukraine. China is actively forging partnerships in various regions, particularly through the Belt and Road Initiative and through its role in BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

For the US, it looks like a whole series of revisionist states are trying to simultaneously challenge America’s hegemony in several regions. The US, in turn, is strengthening its alliances in Asia and Europe through multilateral agreements: with Japan and South Korea (JAROKUS), with Japan and the Philippines (JAROPUS), and with Australia and Great Britain (AUKUS).

Europe: the struggle for the stability and security of Ukraine

German analytical journal International Politics presented an overview of the topics to be discussed at the Munich conference. The publication pays special attention to the geopolitical aspect, identifying three main “battle zones” that will become the center of global competition and conflicts in the near future.

The European continent, according to journalists edition, remains the key epicenter of geopolitical confrontation, primarily due to Russian aggression against Ukraine. Moscow not only tries to undermine the security of the region, but also openly threatens to use nuclear weapons. The war in Ukraine has already caused global upheaval, affecting energy markets, economies and military policies of many countries.
Ukraine will receive special attention at the conference, because its future will directly determine the long-term security of Europe. At the same time, potential conflicts in the Balkans, the Baltics or the Caucasus may further exacerbate the confrontation between Russia and the West. That is why one of the key issues of the Munich conference will be the search for effective international security guarantees for Ukraine, which will prevent new aggression.

The Middle East: Growing Instability and Risks of Global Conflict

The region is going through another phase of escalation, in particular due to conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Iran, as one of the key adversaries of the United States, is actively increasing its influence and threatening the stability of the region. Of particular concern is the prospect of the development of Iran’s nuclear program, which could lead to a new arms race or even a large-scale conflict.
Along with this, China is increasingly positioning itself as a mediator in regional disputes and is trying to strengthen ties with Middle Eastern states such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Given the importance of energy flows from this region, the Munich conference will be a platform for discussing the risks of global energy security and the possible consequences of the escalation of conflicts in the Persian Gulf.

East Asia: Taiwan as a potential trigger for global escalation

Although the region remains relatively stable for now, the confrontation between the US and China is gaining momentum. The Taiwan Strait remains the most explosive zone where a full-fledged conflict between the two superpowers could break out. Beijing seeks to expand its strategic presence in the Pacific Ocean, which Washington perceives as a direct threat to its sphere of influence.
An escalation of conflict in the region could have global economic consequences, as Taiwan is a center for the production of semiconductors critical to the world’s technology industries. The conference is likely to discuss possible scenarios for the development of events around Taiwan, as well as the strategy of US allies – Japan, South Korea, Australia and the Philippines – in the event of a potential military escalation.

Ukraine in the global context

Ukraine remains a key element in the geopolitical balance of power. The war unleashed by Russia became a test not only for Europe, but also for the entire world security system. The support of Ukraine from the US, the EU and other partners is not only strategic, but also symbolic – it is a struggle to preserve the international order based on rules.
The Munich conference will discuss how Ukraine’s allies can increase aid and what long-term measures are needed to contain the geopolitical ambitions of Russia and its partners such as China and Iran.

The Munich Conference – 2025 is expected to be a key platform for discussing global threats arising from confrontations in Europe, the Middle East and East Asia. All these regions influence each other, and the conflicts in them form a new world order.
The main issue of the conference is how the international community can ensure stability and prevent large-scale crises. Ukraine has a special role at this meeting, because its struggle is part of a larger confrontation for the future of international security.