The clouds that hung over Munich at the start of the annual security forum on Thursday have lifted and the city is now getting ready for spring.
However, the metaphorical clouds of war have thickened to the east as the Russian military build-up on Ukraine’s borders intensifies and American statements of an attack “at any time” add to the suspense and apprehension.
This afternoon, the Munich Security Conference wraps up and will go down in history as the place where the transatlantic relationship began to heal, where America reaffirmed it was “back” to diplomacy as US President Joe Biden promised upon assuming office and stressed the “unity of the West”.
However, it was also where Europe faced up to the clear need to adjust to a contentious relationship with Russia.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin signs documents recognising two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent. AFP -
A Ukrainian soldier walks past fragments of a mortar shell amid fighting near the front line in Travneve, Donetsk region. Reuters -
People wave Russian flags while celebrating Moscow's recognition of the self-proclaimed republic's independence, in Donetsk. AP -
Protesters gather at the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry in Kiev, calling on the EU to impose additional sanctions against Russia. Getty Images -
Members of the security forces walk in an underpass at a railway station in Kiev. Getty Images -
A Ukrainian soldier on the front line near the village of Travneve, in Donetsk. Reuters -
Alisa, 38, a media relations specialist, takes part in a combat skills training for civilians near Kiev. Reuters -
Alisa poses with a gun at her home near Kiev. Reuters -
A young girl takes part in a rally in defence of 'Ukraine, Europe and democratic values', organised by the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal, outside the Russian Consulate in Porto, Portugal. EPA -
A Ukrainian soldier takes time out to play with dogs on the front line near the city of Novoluhanske, in Donetsk. Reuters -
People gather under the Ukrainian flag for a Day of Solidarity with Ukraine at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. AFP -
Residents of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic cross from Ukraine into Russia, after it was announced that women and children would be led to the Rostov region due to rising tension in the area. EPA -
After the evacuation of separatist-controlled regions of eastern Ukraine, people complete documents in a temporary accommodation centre in Rostov, Russia. Reuters -
War veterans and volunteers train civilians in handling weapons on one of Kiev's city beaches. AFP -
Russian and Belarusian helicopters taking part in a joint military exercise of the allied countries’ armed forces. EPA -
Ukrainian National Guard soldiers at a mobile checkpoint together with the Ukrainian Security Service agents and police officers during a joint operation in Kharkiv, Ukraine. AP -
US President Joe Biden delivers a national update on the situation at the Russia-Ukraine border at the White House in Washington, DC. AFP -
A Polish soldier uses his phone, as US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak visit the Air Base in Powidz, Poland. Reuters -
Mr Austin, left, addresses US troops stationed at the Powidz Air Base in Poland. AP Photo -
A woman walks to board a bus, arranged to evacuate local residents, in the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine. Reuters -
A satellite image shows an overview of helicopter deployments near Lake Donuzlav in Crimea, Ukraine. Reuters -
A Ukrainian Military Forces serviceman looks through a spyglass on the front line with Russia-backed separatists not far from Novolugansk in the Donetsk region. AFP -
A serviceman keeps position on the front line. AFP -
A Ukrainian frontier guard patrols along the border with Russia, some 40km from the city of Kharkiv. AFP -
US President Joe Biden speaks to the media about Russia's buildup on the Ukrainian border as he leaves the White House in Washington. EPA -
A Ukrainian frontier guard stands at a check point. AFP -
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio enter a hall during a meeting in Moscow. Reuters -
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses the United Nations Security Council. AP Photo -
An elderly lady walks by as members of the Joint Centre for Control and Co-ordination survey damage to a house from artillery shell that landed in Vrubivka, eastern Ukraine. AP Photo -
French President Emmanuel Macron arrives for an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss Ukraine at the European Council building in Brussels. AP Photo -
A local resident boards a train at a suburban area of Kiev. Reuters -
A woman stands among debris after the reported shelling of a nursery in the settlement of Stanytsia Luhanska, Ukraine. AFP -
A protester shouts slogans during a demonstration outside the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev against high government taxes. AFP -
A member of the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army rests ahead of deployment to Poland from Fort Bragg in the US. AP Photo -
Members of the 82nd Airborne Division of the US Army clean weaponry ahead of deployment to Poland. AP Photo
The conference was the first security forum to have a female vice president address it, as US Vice President Kamala Harris followed in the footsteps of Mr Biden, who was a regular visitor for years. It will also be remembered as the first major in-person global forum after the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition to giving a rousing speech at the forum on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Ms Harris, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and a number of other officials. He was given assurances of support, especially after the G7 meeting, but was also told clearly that US soldiers would remain outside Ukraine’s borders come what may. And while Germany’s new government said it was ready for the results of sanctions on Russia, the Ukrainians expect more from the European leader.
The support of ‘5000 Helmets’ for Ukraine was mentioned a number of times – including by the Ukrainian President and the mayor of Kiev – in public sessions. Germany’s legal position on sending weaponry to Ukraine was questioned without clear answers.
The American delegations have now left Munich, and day three of the summit is largely a European Union affair, with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also back in Brussels. It is apt, as in the end it will ultimately be the Europeans who will have to contend with any potential war on their continent.
In addition to this morning’s discussions on European security, the Abraham Accords will be a major topic of discussion, with one session including Dr Anwar Gargash, UAE Presidential Adviser, participating remotely; Bahraini Deputy Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and Israel’s Minister of Defence Benjamin Gantz both in person.
There was a large African presence this year in Munich, partly because the Sahel now represents Germany’s largest and most significant military operation, but also because a number of African leaders were in Europe earlier in the week for the African Union-EU summit in Brussels.
Despite a strong programme in Munich and the presence of key players from around the world, Ukraine dominated the thinking of Western leaders at the conference. Concerns among those intimately connected to conflicts in other parts of the world, such as the Sahel or Lebanon, were discussed but officials did not come up with tangible solutions, as they were consumed by the current crisis.
As the conference is wrapped up, thoughts turn to whether the next time the world’s geopolitical actors and thinkers come together here next year, war will have returned to Europe after decades of peace.
