The world’s most influential defense summit is hitting its stride in Munich. Under the heavy-hitting theme “Under Destruction,” the second day has been defined by blunt warnings from Ukraine, a British “reset” with Europe, and massive unrest in the streets.
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- Zelenskyy’s Warning to Washington: President Zelenskyy took the stage to voice a growing anxiety: that Ukraine is being pressured into lopsided concessions. While he remains open to the upcoming Geneva peace talks, he noted that the Trump administration’s push for “peace at any cost” feels increasingly one-sided.
- The UK’s European Pivot: PM Keir Starmer officially declared the end of “Brexit-era petty politics.” He announced a major naval deployment—led by HMS Prince of Wales—to the North Atlantic, signaling that Britain is reclaiming its role as a cornerstone of European defense.
- A “European” Nuclear Option? German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is already looking past traditional U.S. reliance. He confirmed high-level talks with France to develop a sovereign European nuclear deterrent, a move that would fundamentally shift the power balance within NATO.
- The Streets of Munich: While leaders talked inside, 200,000 protesters occupied Theresienwiese. It was a massive show of solidarity for the Iranian people, with exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi calling for the international community to stop engaging with the current regime.
Quick Take: Diplomatic Sidelines
| Leader | The “TL;DR” |
| S. Jaishankar (India) | On the Quad Summit: “We didn’t cancel it, stay tuned.” |
| Marco Rubio (USA) | The message remains: Europe must pay for its own backyard. |
| Friedrich Merz (Germany) | “The U.S. isn’t powerful enough to go it alone.” |
The Bottom Line: The “rules-based order” isn’t just being challenged—according to the leaders here, it is actively being dismantled. The question is whether they have the collective will to build something new before it collapses.
