Negotiations with Russia are currently insignificant – Ishinger

Wolfgang Ishinger, the interim chairman of the Munich Security Conference, emphasized in an interview with Reuters on January 9 that negotiations between Europe and Russia are currently insignificant. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

According to him, high-ranking Russian politicians have repeatedly called Europe "a mere vassal of the USA." Therefore, at present, it is not logical for European countries to hold direct negotiations with Russia.

Ishinger refused to invite Russian representatives to the Munich Security Conference scheduled for February 13-15, 2026. He noted that representatives of the current Russian government would face negative resistance at the conference and their participation would bring no benefit.

At the same time, he expressed hope that the possibility of conducting effective negotiations with Russia may arise in the future. If meaningful and productive dialogues are restored, the likelihood of inviting Russian representatives to the conference again may increase.

Additionally, Ishinger viewed with skepticism French President Emmanuel Macron's proposal to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, he did not completely rule out opportunities to improve relations between Europe and Russia.

As the new chairman of the Munich Security Conference, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will be appointed. However, Wolfgang Ishinger will continue to lead the conference until 2026.

He previously led this conference from 2008 to 2022 as well.