[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]
Analysis Trump Is Poised to Dominate Conversation in Munich Situation Report previews the Munich Security Conference. By John Haltiwanger , a reporter at Foreign Policy , and Rishi Iyengar , a reporter at Foreign Policy . J.D. Vance and Usha Vance stand at the top of steps at the door of an airplane, both waving toward the camera. J.D. wears a black suit and red tie, and Usha wears a dark gray peacoat. Theit two sons wear matching coats and descend the steps in front of them. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, wave upon landing at Munich International Airport on Feb. 13. Tobias Schwarz/AFP via Getty Images My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. Subscribe Now | Log In Security United States Europe Rishi Iyengar John Haltiwanger February 13, 2025, 4:51 PM Comment icon View Comments ( 0 ) The possible second Trump term that Europe was anxiously anticipating at last year’s gathering of the Munich Security Conference is now firmly underway, and the hundreds of high-profile attendees descending on the German city today are bracing for what the new administration has in store for Ukraine, Europe, and NATO this time around. Trump’s Second Term Ongoing reports and analysis Ahead of the conference, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put the continent’s dozens of U.S. allies on notice. Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Hegseth said Ukrainian membership in the alliance is not a “realistic” outcome of a negotiated end to the war and pushed Europe to take on more of the burden for ensuring Ukraine’s (and the continent’s) defense, echoing Trump. The possible second Trump term that Europe was anxiously anticipating at last year’s gathering of the Munich Security Conference is now firmly underway, and the hundreds of high-profile attendees descending on the German city today are bracing for what the new administration has in store for Ukraine, Europe, and NATO this time around. Trump’s Second Term Ongoing reports and analysis Ahead of the conference, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put the continent’s dozens of U.S. allies on notice. Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, Hegseth said Ukrainian membership in the alliance is not a “realistic” outcome of a negotiated end to the war and pushed Europe to take on more of the burden for ensuring Ukraine’s (and the continent’s) defense, echoing Trump. However, during a Thursday press conference in Brussels, Hegseth appeared to walk back his comments from the previous day, saying that “everything is on the table” when it comes to negotiating an end to the war. The SecDef’s statements will no doubt linger over the Munich Security Conference, where he will join Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance—along with several lawmakers—as part of a U.S. delegation. Vance, a longtime skeptic of Ukraine funding, is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. Yet Hegseth’s Wednesday comments, while a marked departure from the U.S. position on supporting Ukraine under former President Joe Biden, are less controversial today than they once might have been. “Europe needs to do more, it’s obvious,” Jan Lipavsky, the foreign minister of the Czech Republic, told a small group of reporters in Washington last week. Read more in today’s Situation Report: Munich Braces for Team Trump , and sign up for the newsletter to follow along at the Munich Security Conference on Friday and Saturday. This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage of the Trump administration . Follow along here . My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. Subscribe Now | Log In Security United States Europe Rishi Iyengar John Haltiwanger John Haltiwanger is a reporter at Foreign Policy . X: @jchaltiwanger Rishi Iyengar is a reporter at Foreign Policy . X: @Iyengarish Read More On Donald Trump | Europe | Security | United States Join the Conversation Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription. Already a subscriber? Log In . Subscribe Subscribe View 0 Comments Join the Conversation Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now. Subscribe Subscribe Not your account? Log out View 0 Comments Join the Conversation Please follow our comment guidelines , stay on topic, and be civil, courteous, and respectful of others’ beliefs. You are commenting as . Change your username | Log out Change your username: Username I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines . (Required) Confirm CANCEL Confirm your username to get started. The default username below has been generated using the first name and last initial on your FP subscriber account. Usernames may be updated at any time and must not contain inappropriate or offensive language. Username I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines . (Required) Confirm
