The Munich Security Conference 2026 was hardly a revelation. Rather it was an affirmation of reality. This fact was apparent in opening remarks by the host, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The Chancellor did not lament the loss of American leadership. He simply acknowledged it and then stressed that European values are different from those of today’s America. He warned that Russia is a grave threat to world security, as evidenced by its aggression in Ukraine. He affirmed that the defense of