The speeches by US Vice President Kamala Harris and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the second day of the Munich Security Conference are eagerly awaited. The focus of the conference is the Russian war of aggression once morest Ukraine, which began almost a year ago. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy opened the conference on Friday via video address and called for further arms deliveries.
SN/APA/AFP POOL/Thomas Kienzle
US Vice President Harris takes position in Munich
In the case of Harris, however, the topic is likely to be regarding the launch of a suspected Chinese spy balloon – it is speculated that she or Foreign Minister Antony Blinken will meet China’s most important foreign politician Wang Yi on the sidelines of the conference. US President Joe Biden defended the shooting down on Friday – but at the same time signaled a willingness to talk to China’s head of state and party leader Xi Jinping. There is currently massive tension between China and the USA.
The issue of arms deliveries to Ukraine is also at the top of the agenda at a round table discussion of foreign ministers, in which Germany’s Annalena Baerbock, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba also take part. Ukraine would like to see more heavy weapons such as tanks and fighter jets from its western allies in order to be able to further push back the Russian troops. The latter have not yet been promised to her.
Politicians and experts from around 100 countries have been invited to the security conference. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg and Europe Minister Karoline Edtstadler will be taking part from Austria. For the first time in more than 20 years, the Russian leadership has not been invited. On the other hand, Russian Kremlin opponent Mikhail Khodorkovsky and former world chess champion Garry Kasparov will be on the podium late on Saturday evening. Unlike in previous years, the Iranian leadership and politicians of the AfD did not receive an invitation either.
Accessed on 02/18/2023 at 05:14