The Munich Security Conference takes place this week, and organizers say that the global rise of "disruptive politics" is expected to be a key focus of the meetings.
According to an AFP report, the Munich Security Conference is scheduled from February 13 to 15, with more than 60 heads of state and government leaders, and around 100 foreign and defense ministers attending.
The Munich Security Conference released its report on the 9th, warning that the world has already entered an era of “disruptive politics,” stating: “Large-scale disruption has become the norm, rather than prudent reform and policy adjustment.”
The “Munich Security Report 2026” describes U.S. President Trump as “the most powerful among those wielding the axe against established rules and institutions,” and that this has far-reaching impacts on trade, security, and development in regions around the world.
This report, titled "Under Deconstruction," points out that Trump has tried to dismantle parts of the global order established under U.S. leadership after World War II, and that this tendency is echoed in political movements elsewhere in the world.
This poses a major challenge to countries that have long benefited from the U.S.-led international order—such as U.S. allies in Europe and Asia.
The report notes that many countries are gradually realizing that “if they continue to stand by in the face of bulldozer-style strong-arm politics, they will inevitably be subject to great-power politics, and should not be surprised when cherished rules and institutions are reduced to rubble.”
U.S. Ambassador: We Are Not Trying to Dismantle NATO
In response, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith (Whittaker in Chinese transliteration) stated that Trump is not trying to break up NATO, but instead “wants to make NATO stronger by urging allies to do more.”
Smith said: “We are not trying to dismantle NATO.”
She added: “We are not asking Europe to go it alone. We want a strong Europe, we want you to be just as strong as the United States, we want you to remain our solid allies, closely connected with us—we just expect you to do more.”
Smith used a parent-child relationship as a metaphor: “When your children are young, they depend on you, but eventually you want them to get a job. For me, that’s where we are now.”