MSC chair: Trust in transatlantic relations damaged

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MSC chair: Trust damaged in transatlantic relations — DW

PoliticsGermany

Nina Haase

February 9, 2026

Wolfgang Ischinger tells DW that he has “a lot of sympathy” for the American demand that Europe should take its defense into its own hands. “We should respond to it and become more self-confident,” Ischinger said.

This year’s Munich Security Conference will kick off on February 13. DW’s chief political correspondent Nina Haase spoke with Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the MSC, about the state of transatlantic relations, whether US Vice President JD Vance will attend after his widely debated speech last year, why politicians from the far-right AfD were invited, and the latest developments surrounding the Epstein files. Ischinger also discussed potential Russian links to the unfolding scandal, Germany’s role on NATO’s eastern flank, and why he still believes Europe can find its voice.