Merz, Macron to address Munich Security Conference amid disputes with US

Al JazeeraEN 2 min read 100% complete by Mariamne EverettFebruary 13, 2026 at 01:53 PM

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron will address the Munich Security Conference, which begins on Friday with high security measures in place. The conference comes amid strained ties between Europe and the US, particularly over defense burden sharing. More than 60 heads of state and government, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will attend the event. The agenda includes discussions on Russia's four-year war in Ukraine, Iran's nuclear programme, and Israel's conflict with Gaza. Merz will open the conference at 1:45pm local time, while Macron will close the official program with a speech at 7pm. The conference is taking place as tensions between Europe and the US are under immense pressure due to differing views on defense cooperation.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Kaja Kallas 50% Alexander Stubb 50% Yvette Cooper 50% Marco Rubio 60% Donald Trump ×270% Russia ×270% Volodymyr Zelenskyy 70% Ukraine ×270% United States ×780% Emmanuel Macron ×280% Friedrich Merz ×280% Munich Security Conference ×390%

Keywords

munich security conference 100% us-europe relations 90% ukraine war 80% defense spending 60% nato 60% international security 50% donald trump 50% foreign policy 40%

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Negative

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Source

Al Jazeera

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90%

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