It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the German city of Munich is often mentioned with negative connotations.<\/p>\n
The Beer Hall Putsch on November 8-9, 1923, also known as the Munich Putsch, by Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler brought him to the attention of the German nation and eventually to become chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933, after a series of Nazi Party victories in elections.<\/p>\n
Another blow to the image of Munich was the day, September 30, 1938, when British and French Prime Ministers Chamberlain and Daladier met with Hitler and Mussolini to sign the Munich Agreement. According to many historians, this was the actual date of starting WWII.<\/p>\n
Of course, on September 5, 1972, another tragedy was associated with Munich due to\u00a0a terrorist attack during the 1972 Summer Olympics, carried out by eight members of the Black September.\u00a0However, on February 14, 2025, something happened in this city that might illuminate its image. It was US Vice President JD Vance’s address at the Munich Security Conference (MSC). His speech, which was fully endorsed by President Trump, obviously not eliminated but substantially reduced the risk of WWIII.<\/p>\n
“The threat that I worry the most about vis-\u00e0-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor,” said\u00a0Vance and added that “threat from within” poses the greatest danger to the Western\u00a0security\u00a0due to\u00a0crushing dissent, policing speech and infringing on religious freedoms.”<\/p>\n
Christoph Heusgen, chairman of the Munich Security Conference (MSC),\u00a0closed<\/a>\u00a0its 61st session with words that sounded more like a divorce statement between Europe and the United States.\u00a0“This conference started as a trans-Atlantic\u00a0one, but\u00a0after the speech of Vice President Vance, we have to fear that our common value base is not that common anymore,” said Mr Heusgen with tears in his eyes.\u00a0In other words, Heusgen was speaking about the divorce of the party of war with the party of peace,<\/p>\n At this point, we shouldn’t be euphoric and realize that we are only at the beginning of a challenging and bumpy road to peace since the parties of war, both in the US and Europe, are still very powerful. Nevertheless, at the US-Russia meeting in Er-Riadd, Saudi Arabia, which followed the MSC, even the New York Times\u00a0<\/a>had to admit\u00a0that “the United States and Russia moved toward a head-spinning reset of their relationship, agreeing to work together on ending the Ukraine war, financial investment and re-establishing normal relations.”<\/p>\n At the same time, there is no full solidarity in Europe. French President Macron called an emergency summit of European leaders in Paris to discuss what to do, given the reliance on the United States for support was no longer guaranteed.\u00a0Anatol Lieven called<\/a> the Paris summit “theater and much ado about nothing.” He wrote: “The chaotic state of present European thinking on Ukraine and the Ukraine peace process reflects this underlying lack of public will, as well as the bewilderment of European establishments that for many years have left responsibility for their strategy in the hands of the United States, and now find themselves expected to think for themselves.”<\/p>\n In his MSC speech, Heusgen thanked European\u00a0leaders and\u00a0 Ukraine President Zelensky for “continuing to adhere to our common value base, which is not that common anymore,”\u00a0meaning with the US under the Trump administration.\u00a0In reality, the words democracy and\u00a0values are\u00a0devalued mainly\u00a0by those who\u00a0frequently use them while violating their meanings. Look at the pitiful ratings of most European leaders glorified by Heusgen, whose\u00a0policies ignore the interests and wishes of their people.<\/p>\n