The war in Ukraine, a year after the Russian invasion, and heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington are expected to be the focus of the Munich Security Conference, which kicks off today Friday.

More than 150 government representatives will attend the conference dedicated to international security held annually in the Bavarian capital.

German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and French President, Emmanuel Macron, are among today’s speakers, while Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, will address the Conference via video link.

Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, US Vice President, Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, as well as NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, will also attend the Conference.

Officials from Russia and Iran have not been invited this year, while the Western leaders are expected to reiterate their commitment to support Kyiv for as long as it takes so as to repel the Russian invasion, both financially and militarily.

In this context, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, who is expected in Munich, ruled out ending the war through diplomacy at this stage, in an interview with the German press group Funke.

Western countries mainly support Kyiv by providing military equipment and by imposing economic sanctions against Russia. Still, the US and its allies are preparing to adopt a major new sanctions package around February 24, US Deputy Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland, said on Thursday.

Besides, the Foreign Ministers of the G7 countries will meet tomorrow Saturday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

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Tensions with China

Tensions between the US and China, which escalated recently after a Chinese balloon was spotted in US airspace and eventually shot down by Washington, will also be discussed.

Beijing asserts that the balloon served research purposes, mainly meteorological, and that it inadvertently entered US airspace. According to Washington, it was a spy balloon with significant electronic equipment.

The tension comes at a time when Europeans, notably Germany, and France, are hoping to persuade China, which remains a close ally of Russia, to put pressure on President Vladimir Putin to end the war.

Mr. Mitsotakis: “Greece is a pillar of stability and provider of energy security”

The role of Greece as a pillar of stability, peace, and security in the region, a provider of energy security, but also a reliable partner and ally in the new geopolitical landscape shaped by the Russian invasion of Ukraine is expected to be highlighted by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during today’s contacts at the 59th Munich Security Conference, according to government sources.

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