Munich Security Conference kicks off as Ukraine, Middle East top agenda

• US President Donald Trump’s Ukraine peace plan, situation in Middle East to be discussed at 61st Munich Security Conference
• 3-day annual conference hosting over 50 heads of state, government, around 150 ministers from all over world

MUNICH

The 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) has started in Germany, bringing dozens of political leaders from around the world to discuss the world's most pressing challenges.

The three-day annual flagship conference kicked off in Munich, hosting over 50 heads of state and government and around 150 ministers from all over the world.

The conference started Friday morning and will see many speakers taking the stage after an opening by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. They will focus on global security challenges, including global governance, democratic resilience, climate security, and many more topics.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US Vice President JD Vance, and the US president’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, will be among the top officials attending the high-level conference.

In addition to expected intense talks on the war in Ukraine and US President Donald Trump’s Ukraine peace plan, the conference will also address the Middle East crisis, Syria's political process, conflicts in Africa, and tensions in Southeast Asia.

Vance, Zelenskyy, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will also deliver speeches at the conference.

Other speakers include the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.

1st day of conference

On the first day of the conference, von der Leyen will speak on "The EU in the world," while Vance will take part in another session titled "The US in the world."

Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, and Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard will speak later Friday in a panel on countering hybrid warfare in the Baltic Sea.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi is also expected to address nuclear multipolarity.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will take part in a session titled "China in the World."

On Saturday, the second day of the event, debates are expected to take place on the state of the international order, as well as regional conflicts and crises. The future of the transatlantic partnership will also be a focus of the second day of the conference.

The event will wrap up with discussions on Europe’s role in the world on the last day of the forum.