Wolfgang Ischinger, acting chair of the Munich Security Conference, told Reuters in an interview on January 9 that talks between Europe and Russia are currently meaningless. He said senior Russian politicians have repeatedly called Europe “mere vassals of the United States,” so it is not advisable at this time to propose that European countries hold direct negotiations with Russia.
Ischinger declined to invite Russian representatives to the Munich Security Conference scheduled for February 13–15, 2026. He said there is no point in seeing members of Russia’s current government at the conference, as they would be met not with applause but with opposition.
At the same time, Ischinger expressed hope that opportunities for talks with Russia may emerge in the future. In his view, if meaningful and effective negotiations between Germany or other European states and Russia resume, this could pave the way for inviting Russian representatives to the Munich Security Conference.
Ischinger also viewed French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to hold direct talks with Putin with skepticism. However, he acknowledged that there are opportunities to improve relations between Europe and Russia.
The new chair of the Munich Security Conference will be former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. However, until 2026 the forum will be led by Wolfgang Ischinger, who headed the conference from 2008 to 2022.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
