MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC) kicked off on Friday against the backdrop of deepening transatlantic tensions and an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape.

Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz addresses the audience during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Photo: AP)

As policymakers across the world gathered in the German metropolis to discuss regional and global security and international order, U.S. punitive tariffs on major trading partners remain in force, disputes over European defense arrangements persist, and renewed frictions over Greenland add to strains within the transatlantic alliance.

In his opening address, MSC Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger said the conference was taking place at a time of "growing insecurity," with more simultaneous conflicts and crises than at any point in the event's more than 60-year history.

"The transatlantic relationship in particular finds itself at an inflection point," Ischinger said, calling it an "unprecedented challenge" and questioning whether the United States still views European allies as partners.

The conference's annual report, titled "Under Destruction," warned of a weakening of international institutions and said the "recalibration" of U.S. foreign policy has triggered dynamics whose full consequences are only now beginning to emerge.

This year's three-day event is expected to draw about 60 heads of state and government, alongside around 100 foreign and defense ministers. Key topics include the future of the transatlantic relationship, multilateralism, global order, and regional conflicts and crises.