The war in Ukraine overshadowed the Munich security conference

Kiev [Ukraine], February 17: Top politicians, military officers and diplomats from around the world will gather in Munich, Germany, for a key security conference amid the conflict in Ukraine approaching its one-year anniversary.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz , French President Emmanuel Macron and US Vice President Kamala Harris were among the top government leaders attending the Munich Security Conference , a large-scale annual event focusing on defense and foreign affairs delivered, Reuters said.
Senior Ukrainian officials are also expected to speak at the conference, which opens on February 17 and runs until February 19, at the luxurious Bayerischer Hof hotel in the southern German city.
Last year's conference took place just days before the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out. As Russian troops rushed toward Ukraine's border, Western leaders in Munich warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of dire consequences if he sent troops into the neighboring country.
This year, leaders will have to figure out how to deal with the ramifications of Europe's most serious military conflict since World War II.
The war in Ukraine will rekindle the long-running debate in Munich over issues such as how Europe should strengthen its military capabilities, how much Europe should rely on the United States for its security and How much governments should spend on defense.
Delegates will also discuss the far-reaching global impact of hostilities, from energy supplies to food prices.
The Munich Security Conference is sometimes seen as a barometer of relations between Russia and the West. In 2007, President Putin attacked the US in a speech that was widely seen as a harbinger of Moscow's much tougher stance towards the West.
This year, Russia was not invited to the event. In contrast, the US sent to Munich a delegation believed to be the largest scale ever, including Vice President Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a third of the US Senate.
"We expect a signal of solidarity from the transatlantic community," conference president Christoph Heusgen told reporters this week.
China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, is also expected to be in Munich. Secretary of State Blinken is considering a meeting between the two, as relations between Washington and Beijing have become more strained after the US military shot down a flying object it believes is a spy balloon. China.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper