Wolfgang Ischinger, President of the Foundation Council of the Munich Security Conference and its former chairman, has expressed some disappointment that the expectations of many attendees at this year’s conference were not met.
Ischinger said this in comments to Ukrinform while summarizing the forum’s outcomes.
“Unfortunately, the expectations many of us had when heading to Munich this year were not fulfilled. We had hoped this conference would clarify the path toward discussions on how to end this war and outline concrete negotiations,” he said.
His overall impression of the 61st Munich Security Conference remains that “there are still many unanswered questions about how this process can begin, continue, and ultimately conclude.”
One of the key uncertainties, according to Ischinger, is the role Europe can play in achieving peace. Additionally, it remains unclear how Ukraine’s voice will be integrated into these efforts.
Nevertheless, he said that one thing was clear: “Following this conference, discussions and negotiations will begin. Will they lead to success? Time will tell.”
Ischinger admitted to being “somewhat disappointed” by the events of the past few days, particularly regarding the approaches taken toward negotiating with Russia. “This was not done very skillfully,” said Ischinger, who has extensive experience with diplomatic processes.
So far, the only tangible actions have been two phone calls: one from U.S. President Donald Trump to Russian leader Vladimir Putin and another from Trump to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Just two calls — nothing more. Everything else still requires discussion and decision-making,” he stated, urging against excessive pessimism as multiple potential paths could still lead to a constructive resolution.
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance spoke at the 61st Munich Security Conference, where he made accusations against Europe that sparked discontent and concern among numerous European leaders. In his closing remarks, MSC Chairman Christoph Heusgen stated that the speech left an impression that transatlantic values may no longer be as unified as they once were.
Source: Munich Security Conference fails to clarify path to peace in Ukraine – Ischinger
