Statement by EES President Dr Ingo Friedrich, February 17th, 2026
The New Narrative of Europe after the Munich Security Conference:
Europe must become a world power.
The results of the Munich Security Conference are:
- The USA and Europe are and will remain parts of the same Western cultural sphere, but they no longer share all values: For example, in the USA, freedom of expression is primarily based on the right of the speaker to free speech, according to the motto "anything can be said," while in Europe, the right of the listener to information that is at least somewhat truthful and not just spreading hatred and insults must also be respected. Furthermore, Europeans want a rules-based world order, while Trump considers the "law of the jungle" to be normal. So, there are significant differences, but also still considerable common ground, or shared values, between the USA and Europe. The West still exists, albeit in a different form.
- A similar "partial equality" applies to Ukraine's planned accession to the EU. While Ukraine is to become a member of the EU quickly, it will not be able to join in all policy areas (e.g., not in agriculture) and will not have all the associated rights and obligations. Incidentally, we had a comparable situation in the early years of German reunification when the former GDR also joined the EU at the same time.
- With the war in Ukraine, Putin's Russia undertook a kind of last-ditch effort to become a global superpower by conquering Ukraine with its significant reserves and mineral resources. This attempt has – as can already be said – failed miserably.
- The following consequences are emerging for the expected Russian-Ukrainian ceasefire: - Ukraine will survive as a sovereign state and join the West; - Russia's global influence has declined dramatically after formerly friendly states and regions turned away (partly due to Trump): Venezuela, Syria, and probably soon Cuba and Iran as well; - Russia's global reputation and international image have reached an all-time low. Business relations with Russia are now only entered into when there is truly no other alternative.
- Russia is already paying an immense, indeed dramatic, economic and human price for the war. Estimates vary widely, but the scale is enormous. Hundreds of thousands of young men have died, another hundreds of thousands are seriously injured, and the economy and citizens are suffering increasingly from inflation, high taxes, and high interest rates.
- Trump and Putin are—albeit unintentionally—the midwives of a newly forming world power called Europe, officially: “European sovereignty.” The realization that Europe must pursue this independent path has grown steadily and is now the prevailing doctrine. That such a goal is associated with great effort and sacrifice is obvious, but the gains in stability and security undoubtedly compensate for this.
- The crucial question now is whether and how Europe finds the strength to put the desired European sovereignty into practice. States that are ready should now take the lead and, for example, establish a joint command for key armed forces or begin implementing security policy decisions even without unanimity. Armaments must be standardized.
- NATO, as an unbreakable alliance, is losing significance without disappearing entirely, even if the nuclear umbrella is officially to be maintained. It will remain a kind of alliance of friendship, in which the former dominant power, the USA, will provide assistance when it allows for favorable deals. The existing absolute NATO mutual defense commitment under Article 5 must unfortunately be called into question to some extent. Therefore, the EU must formulate its own crystal-clear security guarantee, one that gives concrete form to the mutual defense commitment already enshrined in the EU treaties, in order to be credible in its deterrence function.
Europe is facing a challenge like never before!
Dr. Ingo Friedrich