At the start of the Munich Security Conference, US Vice President Harris committed herself to NATO and international cooperation. UN Secretary-General Guterres painted a bleak picture of the global community.
The security conference has started in Munich and US Vice President Kamala Harris used her speech to position herself against Donald Trump – without naming him. In the Vice President’s opinion, the USA must continue to assume its global leadership role, which is in the fundamental interest of the Americans and a direct benefit for the American people, said Harris.
US government stands by NATO
US President Joe Biden and she wanted to continue global engagement and defend democratic values at home and abroad, together “with our partners,” said Harris. The US government is “ironically” committed to NATO. This strengthens the USA and protects Americans.
With a view to the US elections, she emphasized that there were voices who wanted a different role for the USA, who wanted to isolate the USA and turn away from its allies. She did not name the Republican opponent Trump. But this view is “dangerous, destabilizing and short-sighted,” Harris said.
Guterres paints a bleak picture
At the opening of the security conference, UN Secretary General António Guterres warned of an increasingly unstable security architecture in the international community. “Even the Cold War era was – in some ways – less dangerous,” he said. There is still the nuclear danger, and now there is also the climate crisis and dangers posed by artificial intelligence. “We have not been able to take effective steps in response,” he said.
Guterres called for a just and lasting peace solution for Ukraine, saying the loss of life was “horrific.” He also called for more support for developing countries that were also suffering from the effects of the war of aggression against Ukraine.
NATO chief sees no immediate threat from Russia
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was a little more confident. He sees no immediate military threat from Russia against a NATO ally. “NATO continues to ensure that there is no room for misjudgment in Moscow regarding our readiness to protect all allies,” Stoltenberg emphasized. This also includes the fact that many allies have increased their defense spending.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also relies on defense strategies. She announced that she would develop new paths for the arms industry. “We have to invest more, we have to invest better and we have to invest in Europe,” she said, referring to the defense industry. That also brings jobs to Europe.