The West Under Pressure: Inside Munich 2026

Ukraine, China, and Iran are shaking up the world—but at the Munich Security Conference, the West seemed to be worrying about itself. Amid simmering transatlantic tensions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio got a standing ovation, but was it real reassurance or just the same talking points, dressed up? The Observer's Giles Whittell and ECFR's Dr. Jana Puglierin break down the conference's most revealing moments and what Europe is really thinking.