What We're Watching
Zelensky visits the US to present his “victory plan”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky
dpa via Reuters Connect
Zelensky arrives at the height of a US election season, but he knows and will make clear in meetings with US officials that Ukraine faces a tough winter. A lack of effective air defenses has allowed Russia to strike power plants and other energy infrastructure targets in recent months, leaving Ukraine’s war-weary people facing daily power outages as the colder months loom. President Biden knows Zelensky needs something he can present to his people as a win for the war effort. Whether Congress will pay for whatever Biden promises is a separate political problem.
China was largely absent from the core conversations at the 2026 Munich Security Conference. That, says Ian Bremmer, is telling.
At the 2026 Munich Security Conference, Brad Smith announces the launch of the Trusted Tech Alliance, a coalition of global technology leaders, including Microsoft, committing to secure cross-border tech flows, ethical governance, and stronger data protections.
Tune in today at 12pm ET/6pm CET for the live premiere of our Global Stage from the 2026 Munich Security Conference, where our panel of experts takes aim at the latest global security challenges. NY Times National Security Correspondent David Sanger moderates the discussion with Benedetta Berti, Secretary General, NATO Parliamentary Assembly; Ian Bremmer, President & Co-founder, Eurasia Group & GZERO Media; Dr. Wolfgang Dierker, Global Head of Government Affairs, SAP; and Brad Smith, Vice Chair & President, Microsoft.