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ARTICLE · 19 FEBRUARY 2026

Tracking The Munich Security Conference: How "Wrecking-Ball Politics" Is Transforming Transatlantic Relations

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Today and through the weekend, security officials and policymakers converge on the Munich Security Conference (MSC) for the year's biggest talk-shop on the world order.

GlobalGovernment, Public Sector
Thomas Goldstein
Thomas Goldstein

Today and through the weekend, security officials and policymakers converge on the Munich Security Conference (MSC) for the year's biggest talk-shop on the world order. Europe is still wrestling with a disrupted transatlantic status quo, in which the US has displayed three (sometimes contradictory) approaches to the continent: exerting political pressure, burden-shifting responsibility, or repackaging old transatlantic priorities. This confusion has pushed Europe toward strategic autonomy, but internal divisions and the steep climb toward developing strategic enablers have created hesitation. Amid transatlantic disruption, American companies face downside risks of a stranded European defense market. More broadly, the potential for an antagonistic security transition could risk economic consequences, like tariffs.

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