German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has arranged a series of bilateral talks for the upcoming Munich Security Conference (MSC). Among the planned meetings, he will speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to our sources from government circles. A further engagement is set with California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom.

On the sidelines of the conference, an “E3 round” will bring together the German chancellor, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The traditional “McCain Dinner” according to reports, will be “streamlined”: this year’s event will feature fewer business representatives and a greater number of officials.