Munich Security Report 2026 warns of 'wrecking-ball politics' disrupting international order

The world has entered a period of "wrecking-ball politics," where sweeping destruction has become the order of the day, according to the Munich Security Report 2026 released in Berlin on Monday.

The report, titled "Under Destruction", aims to set the tone for the upcoming Munich Security Conference (MSC). The annual event is expected to gather nearly 50 heads of state and government, alongside hundreds of decision-makers and opinion leaders, later this week.

The current U.S. administration is seen as the most prominent actor promising to free itself from existing order constraints, which has placed the U.S.-led post-1945 international order under attack, according to the report.

In the report's foreword, MSC Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger noted that the attention the conference is attracting this year is not only a reflection of the many conflicts and crises that dominate the global agenda, but also a result of the changing role of Washington in the international system.

The report observes that political forces favoring destruction over reform are gaining momentum across many Western societies, driven by disenchantment with the performance of democratic institutions and a loss of trust in political course corrections.

However, the report warns that it remains unclear whether such destruction will actually clear the ground for policies that increase security, prosperity and freedom. Instead, the world may see a shift toward transactional deals over principled cooperation, private interests over public good and regional hegemons over universal norms.

Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, has stated that Washington does not seek to dismantle NATO or undermine the current world order as he responded to the MSC's critical report about the U.S., stressing that he "completely rejects everything I just heard."

Instead, Whitaker said Washington only aims to "balance" the distribution of defense burdens among NATO member states by urging European allies to "do more and to be capable and strong, because that strength is what guarantees the peace."

(With input from Xinhua)