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German leader Merz calls on US and Europe to ‘repair trust’

German leader Merz calls on US and Europe to ‘repair trust’
By Zsombor Peter, Umut Uras, Nils Adler and Federica Marsi
Published On 14 Feb 2026

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14 Feb 2026 - 22:55
 (22:55 GMT)

It’s a wrap from us

Thank you for joining today’s live coverage.

For more content, watch Rubio deliver his speech at the Munich Security Conference, here.

And read about how Iran and the United States are presenting clashing views before expected talks over the coming days, here.

14 Feb 2026 - 22:45
 (22:45 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We will close this live page shortly. But before we do, here’s a look at the day’s major developments:

  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a more conciliatory speech than JD Vance last year, saying the United States and Europe “belong together”, but making it clear that Washington is on a new trajectory with Trump.
  • EU leaders welcomed Rubio’s speech, as he gave hope for the future of Europe’s ties with the US.
  • European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed national leaders who called for boosting the continent’s defence capabilities, while urging them to bring the EU’s founding principle of mutual defence to life.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, was a “slave to war” and would continue to attack the neighbouring nation unless Europe offered security guarantees.
  • Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said attempts to split China from Taiwan would very likely push China and the US towards a conflict.
  • Demonstrations aiming to spotlight the human rights situation in Iran drew large crowds in Munich, as the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, the US-based Reza Pahlavi, called on Trump to help the Iranian people.
14 Feb 2026 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)

What did Reza Pahlavi say at the Munich protest?

At a rally in Munich, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah said he was ready to lead the country towards a “secular democratic future”.

The US-based Reza Pahlavi, who has not returned to Iran since before the 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the monarchy, told a crowd of about 200,000 supporters that he could lead a transition.

“I am here to guarantee a transition to a secular democratic future,” he said.

“I am committed to be the leader of transition for you, so we can one day have the final opportunity to decide the fate of our country through a democratic, transparent process to the ballot box.”

Pahlavi has urged Iranians at home and abroad to continue demonstrations against the authorities, calling on them to chant slogans from their homes and rooftops at 8pm (16:30 GMT) on Saturday and Sunday, to coincide with protests in Germany and elsewhere.

Demonstrators protest against Iran’s government in Munich, Germany [Ebrahim Noroozi/AP]
14 Feb 2026 - 22:15
 (22:15 GMT)

Syria’s FM says talks with Israel exclude broader occupied Golan Heights issue

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani has said that negotiations on a security deal with Israel were focused on areas Israel has recently occupied, and excluded the broader issue of the occupied Golan Heights.

Since the December 8, 2024, overthrow of Syria’s longtime ruler, Bashar al-Assad, Israel has sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone that separated Israeli and Syrian forces.

Israel captured most of the plateau from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, and later annexed the areas under its control in a move not recognised by most of the international community.

Israel and Syria’s new authorities have held several rounds of direct talks in recent months, and after negotiations in January, under US pressure, they agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism as they edged towards a security agreement.

When asked at the Munich Security Conference about the scope of the talks with Israel, al-Shaibani said discussions were on “the withdrawal of Israel” from Syrian territory occupied after al-Assad’s ousting, “not from the Golan Heights, and this is another issue”.

To reach a security deal, Israel should “respect the security of Syria and withdraw from these [recently occupied] territories”, he added.

14 Feb 2026 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)
Analysis

Rubio invites Europe to join Trump’s world outlook

Rubio’s speech today at the Munich Security Conference was an invitation for Europe to “join the Trump administration’s view of international security”, Donald Jensen, professor at Johns Hopkins University, tells Al Jazeera.

This includes adopting a common vision on issues such as the war in Ukraine, tariffs, strategic arms trade, climate change and immigration.

It was also a call for Europe “to think about NATO in a new way that would involve a much greater European security presence in the alliance”, Jensen said.

However, Jensen added that it was “highly unlikely” that Europe would yield the call.

14 Feb 2026 - 21:45
 (21:45 GMT)

Zelenskyy receives Ewald von Kleist Award on behalf of Ukrainian people

The award, named after the founder of the Munich Security Conference, has been given every year since 2009 “to honor leading figures in security policy that have made an outstanding contribution to international peace and conflict management”, according to the conference’s website.

The award was given to the Ukrainian people this year “in deep appreciation of their courage, sacrifice, and unwavering resolve to defend their freedom and the freedom of all of Europe, and in honor of the many who have lost their lives or been injured”.

14 Feb 2026 - 21:30
 (21:30 GMT)

Photos: Diplomatic meetings, panel debates and awards

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege participates in the panel talk ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fundamental Rights: Fighting the Global Pushback’ [Johannes Simon/Getty]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (right) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio [Handout: Ukrainian presidential press office via AFP]
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, 4th left, meets with Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, right, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, 2nd left, and Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina [Sven Hoppe/Pool via AP]
Bavarian Federal State Prime Minister Markus Soeder, the chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk present Ukrainian President Zelenskyy with the Ewald von Kleist Award [Liesa Johannssen/Reuters]

14 Feb 2026 - 21:15
 (21:15 GMT)

UN special coordinator calls for second phase of Gaza ‘ceasefire’ to start ‘immediately’

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Sigrid Kaag has said the second phase of the Gaza “ceasefire”, which includes the withdrawal of the Israeli forces and the disarmament of Hamas, must be implemented “immediately”.

In addition, “aid and dignity of people’s lives [must not be] subject to any other party determining that,” Kaag said at the Munich Security Conference.

The UN coordinator also said that the international community’s inability to uphold international law in the context of Israel’s actions in Gaza had undermined its credibility, especially among the younger generations.

“Unless [you] call truth to power, whenever and regardless, you undermine the very foundation of the system you seek to protect,” she said.

14 Feb 2026 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)

WATCH: Russia’s Navalny killed by dart frog poison, European nations say

Five European countries – France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom – have accused the Russian government of poisoning and killing opposition leader Alexey Navalny in 2024, based on lab results from a sample taken from his body.

The five governments said in a statement on Saturday that tissue samples “conclusively” confirmed the lethal toxin epibatidine. The poison is found in wild dart frogs from South America.

Watch our report below:

14 Feb 2026 - 20:45
 (20:45 GMT)

US senator says Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland a ‘distraction’

Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator from Alaska, tells a panel on Greenland that Trump’s efforts to acquire the island are “offensive”.

“When we’re spending this much time talking about the situation with Greenland and whether or not the United States is going to acquire it, it takes the eye off the real issue, the real threat,” she told the panel discussion in Munich.

The real threat, she said, is countries like Russia and China, as well as Europe’s frayed ties with the US.

14 Feb 2026 - 20:30
 (20:30 GMT)
Explainer

What is Arctic Sentry?

Over the course of the day, Arctic Sentry was mentioned by a number of attendees, including Denmark’s prime minister, Greenland’s premier and Germany’s defence minister.

Here is a quick breakdown of what it is:

  • Arctic Sentry is a new NATO activity designed to strengthen the alliance’s presence in the Arctic and High North.
  • It provides a coordinated framework for monitoring, deterring and responding to security developments in the region.
  • The initiative integrates air, maritime, land and intelligence assets under a more coherent operational approach, according to NATO.
  • It enhances situational awareness through increased surveillance, patrols and information sharing.
  • The framework demonstrates long-term allied commitment to the security of the wider Arctic region, not just individual territories.
  • It builds on existing national and NATO activities, aligning them more closely under NATO command structures.
  • German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said it allows NATO to react to a variety of situations in the area “in a way which is appropriate”.
Danish servicemen walk in front of the Joint Arctic Command centre in Nuuk, Greenland [File: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP]
14 Feb 2026 - 20:15
 (20:15 GMT)

What did JD Vance say in his Munich speech last year?

Observers and European diplomats have noted that Rubio’s speech today at the Munich Security Conference struck a much more conciliatory tone than the one delivered by the US vice president last year.

The speech drew alarm and criticism from Washington’s European allies for its tone and its content. Vance accused leaders of rollbacks on free speech, lax migration policies and delinquency in their defence commitments.

“There is a new sheriff in town under Donald Trump’s leadership,” Vance said in February 2025.

He proceeded to accuse European leaders of censoring social media, interfering in elections and violating the rights of Christians.

“I believe that dismissing people, dismissing their concerns or, worse yet, shutting down media, shutting down elections or shutting people out of the political process protects nothing,” Vance said. “In fact, it is the most surefire way to destroy democracy.”

He also accused the United Kingdom of backsliding on religious rights for its arrest of an activist who refused to leave a protected area outside an abortion clinic.

The vice president also took aim at European countries for allowing mass migration.

US Vice President JD Vance speaks in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 22, 2026, after two US citizens were killed by federal officers during a Trump administration immigration crackdown. [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]
14 Feb 2026 - 20:00
 (20:00 GMT)

German foreign minister says NATO to coordinate on Arctic security

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius says NATO has long been concerned about the security of the Arctic region beyond Greenland.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, he said the newly announced Arctic Sentry framework showed there was a commitment to maintain the Danish territory’s security.

NATO on Friday announced Arctic Sentry, which it said will coordinate the activities of national forces and NATO in the Arctic.

Asked to expand on what it entailed, Pistorius said it was about “joint security” and said it would allow NATO to react to threats “in a way that is appropriate”.

14 Feb 2026 - 19:45
 (19:45 GMT)

Photos: Thousands of protesters rally against Iran’s government in Munich

Supporters of Iran’s exiled former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi carry a poster of him as they attend a demonstration during the Munich Security Conference in Germany [Ebrahim Noroozi/AP]
Reza Pahlavi and his wife, Yasmine Pahlavi, greet supporters during a rally against Iran’s government [Fariha Farooqui/EPA]
US Senator Lindsey Graham speaks at the demonstration [Ebrahim Noroozi/AP]
[Ebrahim Noroozi/AP]

14 Feb 2026 - 19:30
 (19:30 GMT)

WATCH: Is the global rules-based order over?

Germany’s chancellor says the international rules-based order is gone.

The US secretary of state responded, saying the Trump administration wants the transatlantic alliance – but while criticising Europe again. So what is emerging?

A new global order or something else?

Watch the latest episode of Inside Story to hear the discussion:

14 Feb 2026 - 19:15
 (19:15 GMT)

‘We are not naive’: Greenland’s PM

Greenland has been the “centre of attention for quite a long time now”, its premier, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, tells an audience at a panel discussion at the Munich conference.

“From a Greenlandic perspective, we have been living in our region in peace and in low tension for many, many, many years,” he said.

“But we have also recognised in Greenland that I don’t think there are any low-tension areas in the world any more, and we need to be a part of building up capabilities and taking our share in surveillance and in security in our region,” he continued.

“We are not naive, and we see the longer perspective,” he said, adding that as ice continues to melt around the country, new maritime routes will open up.

“We are willing to lift our responsibility in Greenland … with our allies in the NATO alliance,” he said, adding: “Transatlantic cooperation and international rule of law and so on, … that’s deeply in our values.”

14 Feb 2026 - 19:00
 (19:00 GMT)

Economic pressure on Russia only tool to end Ukraine war: Activist

The only possible way to end Russia’s war on Ukraine is to increase economic pressure and sanction its oil and gas, activist Svitlana Romanko tells Al Jazeera from Munich.

Romanko – founder and executive director of Razom We Stand, a Ukrainian organisation campaigning to end trade in Russian oil and gas – said sanctions have so far deprived Russia of half a trillion euros of profit in four years of war.

But “Russia shadow fleet tankers are still circumventing European sanctions and sailing the world’s oceans to fill Russia’s war chest,” she said, and Europe is slated to keep buying Russian gas for at least a year.

“Oil and gas are still Europe’s weak spot, and Russia is working hard to keep this weak spot open,” Romanko said.

The activist called for more capital to be made available for renewable energy to grant Europe more energy independence. “Unfortunately, Europe is not moving fast here,” she added.

14 Feb 2026 - 18:45
 (18:45 GMT)

Europe’s top diplomat says pressure on Zelenskyy not a way to end the war in Ukraine

Kaja Kallas tells Al Jazeera that Trump’s strategy of pressuring Ukraine and its president to make a deal with Russia won’t lead to sustainable peace.

“Just putting the pressure on the victim is, of course, you know, hope for a quick win because if you just surrender and give them, the aggressor, what they want, then the war would be over,” she told Al Jazeera’s James Bays in Munich.

“But actually, the war would be over temporarily because the aggressor got what he wants. Appetite grows. … We have to put the pressure on Russia, who is actually doing this war and who started this war,” she added.

14 Feb 2026 - 18:30
 (18:30 GMT)

Rubio’s speech more diplomatic than Vance’s last year, but message remains the same

[Rubio] was more polite.

This was the diplomat being his most diplomatic, but read the substance. … This is still the same policy from the Trump administration.

They still do not like the direction that Europe has been taking. They do not like the way the world has evolved since the end of the Cold War. They don’t like a world where there are no borders. They say that was a very foolish idea. The idea of migration and problems of migration, number one, I think, in issues raised by the secretary of state, and that reflects the views of his boss, President Donald Trump.

I think Europeans would like – at least if it’s going to be a different relationship – one that’s done in a more diplomatic way, but I don’t think there are any doubts here what has happened over the last year.

It wasn’t just the JD Vance speech. It was everything we’ve seen since. Nearly every week of the year, there was something that felt notable – of course, the tariffs, the wrangling over defence, the war in Ukraine and then towards the end of the year another big one in the US claims on Greenland.

14 Feb 2026 - 18:15
 (18:15 GMT)

Zelenskyy says Russia’s change of negotiator is meant to delay any decisions

Ukraine’s leader ⁠says ⁠Russia’s move to change the leadership of ⁠its negotiating team for peace talks in Geneva next week is designed to postpone any decisions.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Zelenskyy said he was surprised by Moscow’s announcement on Friday that it would send Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky.

The talks, scheduled to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, follow two rounds of negotiations in Abu Dhabi at which Russia’s team was led by Igor Kostyukov, the Kremlin’s head of military intelligence.