{"id":35871,"date":"2016-02-18T20:10:05","date_gmt":"2016-02-18T20:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:54:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:54:41","slug":"european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/","title":{"rendered":"European Divisions Drive Munich Conference, While Russia Circles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>MUNICH \u2014 In the best of times, the annual Munich Security Conference serves as an altar upon which the trans-Atlantic alliance can reaffirm its\u00a0vows. When the chips are down, as they were this year, Munich exposes the deep fragility of Euro-Atlantic unity.<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> The tone of European leaders assembled at the conference <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">to express their major security concerns <\/span>was as\u00a0<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">were as <\/span>ominous as\u00a0<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">and\u00a0<\/span>the threats described\u00a0were diverse. The European Union is overwhelmed by migrants from Syria, transnational terrorism,\u00a0and the threat of Russia on the eastern flank.<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> &#8220;There is a great deal at stake. The forces pulling us apart in Europe are so enormous,&#8221; said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier during a panel session at <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">on the second day of <\/span>the conference.\u00a0<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> Despite a valiant effort by US\u00a0Secretary of State John Kerry to encourage his Western colleagues, session after session of Munich panels saw top European leaders lament the state of affairs, while focusing primarily on their <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">own <\/span>immediate security priorities.<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> &#8220;This moment is not as overwhelming as people think it is,&#8221; Kerry said, referring to a slew of threats ranging from the migrant crisis, deterring Russia, dealing with ISIS\u00a0and ending the war in Syria. &#8220;We know what needs to be done and, most importantly, we have the power to do it.&#8221;<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> Part of Kerry\u2019s problem was the distinct impression that Europe is no longer certain the US\u00a0will act as the ultimate guarantor of continental security. Meanwhile, Russia is seizing upon almost every opportunity to pursue its own objectives.<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> These objectives have been described <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">in various circles and mediums <\/span>as\u00a0seeking sanctions relief, asserting itself as a great power\u00a0and dividing the European Union \u2014\u00a0<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">. All <\/span>three formulations that are inexorably linked. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">, to achieve one entails achieving them all.<\/span>\u00a0<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> Many interpreted the Munich security conference as signaling a new Cold War. Whether that is true or not,\u00a0<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">s a matter of semantics, but <\/span>the battle of wills between Moscow and the West appears to be heating up.\u00a0<br\/> \u00a0<br\/><strong>The Threat List<\/strong><br\/> \u00a0<br\/> Russian foreign policy is opportunistic <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">by nature, <\/span>and the Kremlin has long resented power blocs to which it does not belong \u2014 be they political, economic\u00a0or military alliances. And Moscow is now an obstacle <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">, in one way or another, <\/span>to every major European challenge.\u00a0<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> The lack of a unified vision for Europe\u2019s priority was made clear during the conference\u2019s so-called presidents\u2019 debate. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">on the second day of the conference. <\/span>The panel featured the presidents of Poland, Finland, Lithuania and non-EU member Ukraine.<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> It kicked off with EU Parliament President Martin Schulz, who unintentionally framed the remaining debate appropriately by naming the rise of transnational skeptics to national governments across the EU as the greatest security threat to Europe.\u00a0What followed was a laundry list of national security concerns presented by Europe\u2019s eastern neighbors. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">, those who share a lot of bad blood with Russia.<\/span>\u00a0<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> Polish President Adrzej Duda, for example, respondent to Schultz\u2019s concerns by asserting Poland\u2019s main priority now is to deter Russia by strengthening NATO\u2019s presence in the region with &#8220;more bases, and especially infrastructure of NATO in our part of Europe.&#8221;<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> Predictably, Duda\u2019s priorities were echoed by Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, who called for <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">serious <\/span>reforms to be discussed at the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw, scheduled to take place this summer.<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> Finnish President Sauli Niinisto argued that Europe should look at the bigger picture and work to find the &#8220;most basic common denominator&#8221; with which to engage Russia constructively, a point that stood in obvious contrast to the rest of the panel \u2014 especially Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who, in an <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">sweaty, <\/span>impassioned oratory reminded Europe he was fighting a war against their common antagonist, Russian President Vladimir Putin.<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> The list of competing security concerns continued beyond the presidential panel.<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> France, in the wake of the Paris attacks, was busy trying to rally the international community to deepen its commitment to fighting ISIS and radical extremists of all stripes everywhere.\u00a0<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> Germany, as well as a number of other western, central and northern EU members, cited the migrant crisis as the primary existential threat to the EU, and argued that ending the war in Syria should be the continent\u2019s main priority.<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> The common thread <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">tying all of these concerns together <\/span>was Russia. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">\u2014 at Munich this year, an astonishing number of lines of thought lead back to Moscow. Finnish President <\/span>Niinisto perhaps said it best: &#8220;Russia is there \u2014 from Syria to the Arctic. Always.&#8221;\u00a0<br\/> \u00a0<br\/><strong>The Russian Connection<\/strong><br\/> \u00a0<br\/> Backed into a corner by sanctions and diplomatic isolation, Moscow appeared to launch a full-court press while in Munich. During his speech, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev delivered a dire warning: You need us to fight terrorism and end the war in Syria, so lift the sanctions.<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> The initial reaction to Medvedev was negative, and his question-and-answer session was dominated by hard questions pertaining to Russia\u2019s role in the MH17 disaster over eastern Ukraine, and its alleged indiscriminate bombardment of civilians in northern Syria.\u00a0<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> The question <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">here <\/span>is whether <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">or not <\/span>nations like Germany will tolerate the migrant crisis or terrorist spillover from the Syrian conflict\u00a0if things get worse. With reforms in Ukraine faltering, along <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">and <\/span>with the European Union&#8217;s\u00a0patience with Kiev, can Moscow pressure the West into accepting its terms?<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> Moscow has the mechanisms to do so, if calls for Western unity go unheeded. The Kremlin has inserted itself as an obstacle or would-be partner in nearly every challenge cited by European nations. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">as their major security priority.<\/span>\u00a0<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> In this way, Russia appears to have chosen to directly challenge the Western diplomatic policy of &#8220;compartmentalization,&#8221; the almost sacred separation of Ukraine and Syria with regards to engaging Moscow that has driven diplomatic jargon in recent months.<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> If Europe\u2019s main priority is to end the migrant crisis, the war in Syria must be drawn to a close. In Syria, Russia holds all the cards. Though a cease-fire is soon to be implemented, Russia continues to allegedly bomb civilians and opposition fighters.<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> Worsening the <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Aggravating <\/span>tensions between Europe and Russia over <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">the <\/span>Syria\u00a0<span class=\"rte rte-comment\">conflict <\/span>is the recurring antagonism between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">of Turkey <\/span>and Putin. Both have a penchant for bravado and escalation, and tensions could flare as Russia gets closer to its objectives in Syria.<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> Russia\u2019s moves may indicate that Moscow is attempting to exacerbate the refugee crisis, defeat the Syria opposition, and only then present the West with a deal to combat ISIS together with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, on Putin\u2019s terms. <span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Its not clear the West could do anything about it.<\/span><br\/> \u00a0<br\/> Meanwhile, Russia is arguing that it should be let off the hook for Ukraine. Medvedev asserted that sanctions poison relations\u00a0and prevent both sides from taking on the real civilizational threat together: violent extremism in the Middle East.\u00a0<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> Two years after the events in Kiev that eventually led to Russia\u2019s annexation of Crime and its alleged involvement in the civil war in Donbas, the new government\u2019s reform efforts are foundering, and it&#8217;s not clear Poroshenko can keep the situation under control.\u00a0<br\/> \u00a0<br\/> The risk for the West to give up on Ukraine in exchange for Russia\u2019s cooperation in Syria, or even just the promise of cooperation, should be taken seriously. Poroshenko certainly did during his panel session, where he devoted a significant amount of time to defending reforms.<br\/> \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<br\/><span class=\"rte rte-comment\">Taken as a whole, <\/span>Munich sent a clear message: 2016 will test the strength of the political, economic and cultural ties that have bound the trans-Atlantic community since 1945. And Russia may have the momentum. It certainly has the clearer goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br\/> Email: <a href=\"mailto:mbodner@defensenews.com\">mbodner@defensenews.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Twitter: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mattb0401\">@mattb0401<\/a><br\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The tone of European leaders assembled at the Munich security conference was as ominous as the threats described were diverse<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":77616,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":46,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[46,11,33],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3380],"class_list":["post-35871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-global","category-home"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"62LTQMCJEFGNJOS6WMKH2HAR5I","arc_canonical_url":"\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>European Divisions Drive Munich Conference, While Russia Circles - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The tone of European leaders assembled at the Munich security conference was as ominous as the threats described were diverse\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"European Divisions Drive Munich Conference, While Russia Circles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The tone of European leaders assembled at the Munich security conference was as ominous as the threats described were diverse\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-02-18T20:10:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T22:54:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Matthew Bodner\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Matthew Bodner\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/europe\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/18\\\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/europe\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/18\\\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"European Divisions Drive Munich Conference, While Russia Circles\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2016-02-18T20:10:05+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T22:54:41+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/europe\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/18\\\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1286,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/europe\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/18\\\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/635914009500353247-dfn-germany-munich-conferencejpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Europe\",\n\t                \"Global\",\n\t                \"Home\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/europe\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/18\\\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/europe\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/18\\\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/europe\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/18\\\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"European Divisions Drive Munich Conference, While Russia Circles - Defense News\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/europe\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/18\\\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/europe\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/18\\\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/635914009500353247-dfn-germany-munich-conferencejpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2016-02-18T20:10:05+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T22:54:41+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"The tone of European leaders assembled at the Munich security conference was as ominous as the threats described were diverse\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/europe\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/18\\\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/europe\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/18\\\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/europe\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/18\\\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/635914009500353247-dfn-germany-munich-conferencejpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/635914009500353247-dfn-germany-munich-conferencejpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/europe\\\/2016\\\/02\\\/18\\\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Global\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"global\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Europe\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/global\\\/europe\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"europe\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 4,\n\t                    \"name\": \"European Divisions Drive Munich Conference, While Russia Circles\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Defense News\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Covering the politics, business and technology of defense | Defense News\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Defense News\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/defensenews-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/defensenews-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Defense News\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"European Divisions Drive Munich Conference, While Russia Circles - Defense News","description":"The tone of European leaders assembled at the Munich security conference was as ominous as the threats described were diverse","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"European Divisions Drive Munich Conference, While Russia Circles","og_description":"The tone of European leaders assembled at the Munich security conference was as ominous as the threats described were diverse","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/","og_site_name":"Defense News","article_published_time":"2016-02-18T20:10:05+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-07T22:54:41+00:00","author":"Matthew Bodner","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Matthew Bodner","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"European Divisions Drive Munich Conference, While Russia Circles","datePublished":"2016-02-18T20:10:05+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T22:54:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/"},"wordCount":1286,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635914009500353247-dfn-germany-munich-conferencejpg.jpg","articleSection":["Europe","Global","Home"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/","name":"European Divisions Drive Munich Conference, While Russia Circles - Defense News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635914009500353247-dfn-germany-munich-conferencejpg.jpg","datePublished":"2016-02-18T20:10:05+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T22:54:41+00:00","description":"The tone of European leaders assembled at the Munich security conference was as ominous as the threats described were diverse","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635914009500353247-dfn-germany-munich-conferencejpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635914009500353247-dfn-germany-munich-conferencejpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2016\/02\/18\/european-divisions-drive-munich-conference-while-russia-circles\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Global","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/","ad_zone":"global"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Europe","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/","ad_zone":"europe"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"European Divisions Drive Munich Conference, While Russia Circles"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","name":"Defense News","description":"Covering the politics, business and technology of defense | Defense News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization","name":"Defense News","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/defensenews-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/defensenews-logo-white.png","caption":"Defense News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Defense News","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635914009500353247-dfn-germany-munich-conferencejpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35871"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35871\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35878,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35871\/revisions\/35878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35871"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=35871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}