58th Munich Security Conference

The conference ended four days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. The Russia–Ukraine crisis was the dominant topic of discussion. European and transatlantic leaders discussed possible responses to further Russian military action, including sanctions and diplomatic efforts. Josep Borrell stated that the European Union had been supporting Ukraine financially since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. French Defence Minister Florence Parly said that Europe needed to strengthen its defence capabilities. German officials also signalled increased defence spending while continuing to reject arms deliveries to Kyiv. Charles Michel President of the European Council warned Russia of severe sanctions in the event of an invasion.

For the first time, no Russian government representative attended the conference.^[10][11] Participants called on Russia to refrain from invading Ukraine while also stressing that severe economic sanctions would follow any attack. Antony Blinken the United States Secretary of State reiterated the United States' willingness to continue negotiations with Russia. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized Ukraine's sovereignty, while also criticizing further eastward expansion of NATO.^[12] In his speech Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized what he described as the international community's hesitation in responding to the threat posed by Russia, and called for stronger support for Ukraine.^[13]

The conference also included discussions on broader issues of human security including global health, food insecurity and the role of gender in security policy.^[14]

• MSC 2022 website