2007 Munich speech of Vladimir Putin

Putin at the 43rd Security Conference in Munich in 2007. To the left of his seat in the middle aisle: Angela Merkel, Viktor Yushchenko, Franz Josef Jung, De Hoop Scheffer, Javier Solana, to the right Robert Gates, John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Jon Kyl. |  |

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Putin's speech at the 43rd Munich Security Conference in 2007 was, at the invitation of Chairman Horst Teltschik, the first speech by a Russian head of state at the Security Conference. The main topics of his speech on February 10, 2007 were the "Unipolar World Order", NATO's eastward expansion, disarmament and the Iranian nuclear program.[1] Putin's speech is seen as Russia's message to the West that it will not accept a subordinate role in world politics. Thus, the speech marked a significant change in Russian foreign policy and signaled a more assertive and independent stance on the international stage. Putin made it clear that Russia is ready to defend its interests and take a more active role in shaping the global order.[2][3]

The speech caused a sensation worldwide. Participants and the media spoke partly shocked of an incendiary speech and a new Cold War.

In retrospect, critics see Putin's statements as early signs of Russia's imperial turnaround, which led to the Ukraine war and threatens the Western order. The Russian government and supporters of the speech see it as an early and clear warning from Putin against the alleged hegemonic claim of the USA. The USA, NATO and the EU are said to have ignored this warning and subsequently provoked a military conflict in Eastern Europe instead of accepting and promoting a multipolar world order.[4][5][6][7]

## Preparations

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Teltschik and Putin

The invitation to Vladimir Putin was extended by Horst Teltschik, the long-time chairman of the Munich Security Conference. Teltschik had met with Putin on numerous occasions since 1999, including private meetings. In May 2006, Teltschik visited Putin in Sochi and discussed the possibility of his participation. He proposed that Putin use the platform to present his position openly and candidly to an audience of significant international resonance.[8] Teltschik informed Angela Merkel of the discussion in a detailed letter but reportedly received no response.[9] According to historian Peter Hoeres, a key statement from Putin during this exchange, as relayed in Teltschik’s 2024-published diary, read: "Relations between Russia and NATO must first be clarified and further developed before Ukraine can join NATO; otherwise, NATO will be considered an enemy by Russia."[10] Angela Merkel last met with Putin on January 21, 2007, in Sochi to personally outline her objectives for Germany's concurrent EU and G8 presidencies, which began on January 1.[11] One of her goals was to renew the EU-Russia cooperation agreement, particularly on energy supply issues.[12] In her 2024 autobiography, Merkel described the meeting with Putin as tense, marked by his accusations, particularly regarding the Iraq War and planned deployments of medium-range missiles, which Putin considered a direct threat to Russia. Merkel suggested Putin should address the matter directly with George W. Bush.[13] In the days leading up to the conference, Sergei Ivanov had strongly criticized NATO, particularly the United States. Ivanov had brought public attention to the dispute over U.S. plans to deploy missile defense systems in Eastern Europe, according to journalist Eckart Lohse.[14] The night before his speech, Putin met with Minister-President of Bavaria Edmund Stoiber at the "Vier Jahreszeiten" hotel in Munich. Defence Minister Ivanov and his son joined the meeting later. [15] Putin arrived in Munich with a delegation of 200 staff members.[16] His convoy included a specially armored Mercedes S-Class vehicle, followed by other vehicles, including a ZiL limousine.[17]

## Synopsis

[edit]

Stoiber and Putin

Putin criticized what he called the United States' monopolistic dominance in global relations, and its "almost uncontained hypertrophied use of force in international relations". The speech came to be known, especially in Russia,[citation needed] as the Munich speech. He said the result of such dominance was that "no one feels safe! Because no one can feel that international law is like a stone wall that will protect them. Of course such a policy stimulates an arms race."[18] Putin quoted a 1990 speech by Manfred Wörner to support his position that NATO promised not to expand into new countries in Eastern Europe. He stated "[Worner] said at the time that: 'the fact that we are ready not to place a NATO army outside of German territory gives the Soviet Union a firm security guarantee.' Where are these guarantees?"[18][19]

Although NATO was still a year away from inviting Ukraine and Georgia to become NATO member-states in 2008, Putin emphasized how Russia perceived eastward expansion as a threat: "I think it is obvious that NATO expansion does not have any relation with the modernisation of the Alliance itself or with ensuring security in Europe. On the contrary, it represents a serious provocation that reduces the level of mutual trust. And we have the right to ask: against whom is this expansion intended? And what happened to the assurances our western partners made after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact? Where are those declarations today? No one even remembers them"[20] Putin also publicly opposed plans for the U.S. missile shield in Europe, and presented President George W. Bush with a counter proposal on 7 June 2007, which was declined.[21] Russia suspended its participation in the Adapted Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty on 11 December 2007, with the Kremlin commenting: "Seven years have passed and only four states have ratified this document, including the Russian Federation."[18]

## Reception

[edit]

Senator Joe Lieberman stated that the speech was "provocative" and marked by "rhetoric that sounded more like the Cold War".[22] Former NATO secretary Jaap de Hoop Scheffer called it "disappointing and not helpful."[23] The months following the Munich speech[18] were marked by tension and a surge in rhetoric on both sides of the Atlantic. Both Russian and American officials, however, denied the idea of a new Cold War.[24]

The Polish Institute of International Affairs described Putin's quotation from Manfred Wörner's speech as lacking appropriate context, stating that Wörner's speech "only concerned non-deployment of NATO forces on East German territory after reunification."[19]

## Legacy

[edit]

Before and after the launch of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the speech was revisited with some commentators arguing it to be a revealing moment of Putin's later intentions.[25][26][27][28] According to Andrew A. Michta, Western leaders failed in 2007 to recognize the speech "amounted to a declaration of war on the West."[29] Other commentators, like John Mearsheimer and Stephen F. Cohen, would cite it as Putin's most explicit warning that Russia perceived NATO's eastward expansion as a threat to its national security.

## Follow-ups

[edit]

Putin later made other speeches that were called follow-ups to the Munich speech, including:

* The 2013 Valdai speech of Vladimir Putin in Sochi on 19 September 2013
* The Crimean speech of Vladimir Putin to the Federal Assembly of Russia on 18 March 2014
* The 2014 Valdai speech of Vladimir Putin in Sochi on 24 October 2014
* The 2015 U. N. General Assembly speech of Vladimir Putin in New York on 28 September 2015 ("I'm urged to ask those who created this situation: do you at least realize now what you’ve done?")[30]

## See also

[edit]

* European Security Treaty
* Foreign policy of Vladimir Putin

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Vladimir Putin - Speech and Q&A on Security Policy at the 43rd Munich Security Conference 2007 (text-audio-video)". www.americanrhetoric.com. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
2. ^ https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R43838/92
3. ^ Renewed Great Power Competition: Implications for Defense—Issues for Congress. Congressional Research Service, R43838, p. 33
4. ^ "Putin says U.S. Wants to dominate world". Reuters. 10 February 2007. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
5. ^ Shanker, Thom; Landler, Mark (11 February 2007). "Putin Says U.S. Is Undermining Global Stability". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
6. ^ "Putin rails against US foreign policy". Financial Times. 10 February 2007. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
7. ^ "Putin Slams US for Making World More Dangerous | DW | 10.02.2007". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
8. ^ Horst Teltschik: Unsichere Welt – Wie bedrohlich ist Putins Russland? (NZZ Standpunkte 2007) on YouTube
9. ^ Horst Teltschik, Michael Gehler (eds.): Die 329 Tage zur deutschen Einigung. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Verlag, Göttingen 2024.
10. ^ Peter Hoeres (2 December 2024). "Politische Bücher: In 329 Tagen zur deutschen Einheit". FAZ (in German). Retrieved 7 December 2024.
11. ^ "Merkel and Putin seek to avoid future frictions – DW – 21.01.2007". Retrieved 4 January 2025.
12. ^ "Merkel meets Putin in Sochi – DW – 19.01.2007". Retrieved 29 December 2024.
13. ^ Angela Merkel with Beate Baumann: Freiheit. Erinnerungen 1954–2021. Kiepenheuer & Witsch, November 26, 2024. ISBN 978-3-462-00513-4, pp. 379–381.
14. ^ Eckart Lohse (11 February 2007). "Munich Security Conference: The Warrior and the Diplomat". FAZ (in German). Retrieved 7 December 2024.
15. ^ "Putin in Munich". Bild (in German). 10 February 2007. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
16. ^ ""It was terrible, it was awful"" (in German). 12 February 2007. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
17. ^ Sebastian Fischer (10 February 2007). "Putin warns the U.S.: A Hint of Cold War in Munich". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
18. ^ a b c d "Speech and the Following Discussion at the Munich Conference on Security Policy". kremlin.ru. 10 February 2007. Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
19. ^ a b Kupiecki, Robert; Menkiszak, Marek (2020). Documents Talk: NATO-Russia Relations After the Cold War. Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych. p. 375\. ISBN 978-83-66091-61-0. Archived from the original on 9 December 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2021 - via Pism.pl.
20. ^ Basha, Sameed (18 February 2023). "How the Wolfowitz Doctrine Shaped Putin's Outlook". The National Interest. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
21. ^ "Press Conference following the end of the G8 Summit". kremlin.ru. 8 June 2007. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
22. ^ "Gates dismisses Putin remarks as blunt spy talk". Reuters. Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
23. ^ Watson, Rob (10 February 2007). "Putin's speech: Back to cold war? Putin's speech: Back to cold war?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 20 February 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
24. ^ "Munich Conference on Security Policy, As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, 11 February 2007". DefenseLink. United States Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 14 February 2007.
25. ^ Fata, Daniel (7 February 2022). "Putin Announced His Manifesto Against the West Fifteen Years Ago. His Story Hasn't Changed". The Bulwark. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
26. ^ Ignatius, David (20 February 2022). "Putin warned the West 15 years ago. Now, in Ukraine, he's poised to wage war". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
27. ^ Fried, Daniel; Volker, Kurt (18 February 2022). "The Speech In Which Putin Told Us Who He Was". Politico. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
28. ^ Rachman, Gideon (9 April 2022). "Understanding Vladimir Putin, the man who fooled the world". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
29. ^ Michta, Andrew A. (7 August 2022). "China, Russia and the West's Crisis of Disbelief". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 28 November 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
30. ^ "70th session of the UN General Assembly". kremlin.ru. 28 September 2015. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2019.

## External links

[edit]

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Speech and the Following Discussion at the Munich Conference on Security Policy

* Video of the speech with English subtitles
* Tenth Anniversary of Putin’s Munich Speech: A Commitment to Failure — Jamestown Foundation, 2017
* The Daily Vertical: 10 Years Ago Today, Putin Declared War (Transcript) — RFERL, 2017

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