Russia will again be absent from this year’s Munich Security Conference, and MSC chief Wolfgang Ischinger says there is also no interest in accepting a formal invitation. In 2022 the Russian delegation withdrew collectively just days before the outbreak of war, but embassy staff were reported to have always had the option to signal renewed interest, Ischinger told the dts news agency on Monday. He added that, however, he hears “no word” from Moscow.
Despite Russia’s absence, Ischinger remains hopeful that the MSC can offer a “significant” contribution to resolving the Ukraine conflict and move beyond “rhetorical exhortations”. He wants both the European Union and partners such as the United Kingdom and Canada to be challenged to show that Europeans have heard the call to action. He hopes Sunday coverage of the MSC will remark: “Something is happening now, we’re moving from hand-wringing to real action”.
Organisers expect more than 200 government delegates from 120 states to attend, including over 60 heads of state or government. In an unusual change from recent years, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) will open the conference on Friday with a speech.