MSC Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger said the conference is taking place at a time of "growing insecurity," with more simultaneous conflicts and crises than at any point in the event's more than 60-year history.

MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC) kicked off on Friday against the backdrop of deepening transatlantic tensions and an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape.

Policymakers from around the world gathered at the MSC to discuss regional and global security and international order as the U.S. punitive tariffs on major trading partners remain in force, disputes over European defense arrangements persist, and renewed frictions over Greenland are increasing strains within the transatlantic alliance.

In his opening address, MSC Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger said the conference is taking place at a time of "growing insecurity," with more simultaneous conflicts and crises than at any point in the event's more than 60-year history.

"The transatlantic relationship in particular finds itself at an inflection point," Ischinger said, calling it an "unprecedented challenge" and questioning whether the United States still views European allies as partners.

Echoing these concerns, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that a "divide" has opened up between Europe and the United States, noting that U.S. Vice President JD Vance already made the point openly at last year's MSC.

"The transatlantic partnership is no longer something we can just take for granted," Merz warned.

Published ahead of the MSC, the conference's annual report warned of a weakening of international institutions and said the "recalibration" of U.S. foreign policy has triggered dynamics whose full consequences are only now beginning to emerge.

This year's three-day event is expected to draw around 60 heads of state and government, alongside around 100 foreign and defense ministers. Key topics include the future of the transatlantic relationship, multilateralism, global order, and regional conflicts and crises.