Russia will again be absent from this year’s Munich Security Conference, says MSC chief Wolfgang Ischinger, who also has no interest in receiving an invitation. In 2022 the Russian delegation cancelled their participation a few days before the war began, yet embassy staff were always invited to express interest again, Ischinger told the dts news agency on Monday. However, he reports hearing no response from that side.
Ischinger remains hopeful that the MSC can make a substantial contribution to resolving the Ukraine conflict this year and move beyond mere rhetoric. He urges both the European Union and partners such as the United Kingdom and Canada to set impulses that show “we Europeans have heard the shot”. He hopes Sunday reports will portray the conference as taking action instead of simply talking.
According to the organisers, more than 200 government representatives from 120 countries are expected to attend, including over 60 heads of state and government. Departing from the usual pattern of recent years, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) will open the conference on Friday with a speech.
