Held between February 17th through the 19th, the 2017 Munich Security Conference (MSC), brought over 500 elected officials, policy experts and military leaders from around the world to discuss international relations and policies related to on-going challenges, conflicts and the stabilization of global security.

This event is considered one of the most important diplomatic gatherings of its kind related to national and international security. Representatives hailing from all over the world traveled to Munich to share their opinions, seek clarification and forge alliances which will shape the geopolitical future of planet Earth.

MSC has been a premier event related to international security since 1963.

World of Danger, Meeting of Peace: Munich Security Conference

At the 2017 Munich Security Conference, one of the most pressing questions on the minds of many in attendance related to how current United State's President Donald Trump's government would approach international security. During his election campaign and since taking office, President Trump has made a number of conflicting statements which leave most of the world, including his own advisers and fellow U.S. elected officials unclear about his plans and policies related to international relations.

Seeking clarification on these matters, speeches held by a bipartisan cohort of U.S. elected officials including Senators Lindsey Graham, Jeanne Shaheen, John McCain and current Vice President Michael Pence, were among the most highly anticipated among conference participants.

Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, spoke at length about alleged Russian interference with the 2016 United States Presidential Elections. He went on to predict that the U.S. Congress would overwhelmingly support levying extreme economic sanctions against Vladimir Putin's government.

Graham additionally voiced his concern over the upcoming national elections to be held this year in France and Germany.

Senator John McCain used his speech to distance himself from President Trump and his policies: “more and more of our fellow citizens seem to be flirting with authoritarianism and romanticizing it as our moral equivalent.” He went on to describe the “hardening resentment we see toward immigrants, and refugees, and minority groups, especially Muslims,” as being incongruent with American values.

Ukraine Ceasefire upheld at Munich Security Conference

One of the diplomatic agreements made at the 2017 Munich Security Conference relates to a deal between Russia, Ukraine, and Germany. This agreement upholds the February 2015 ceasefire and sets in motion the conditions for withdrawing heavy arms from Ukraine beginning on Monday, February 20th.