Issued on: 13/02/2026 - 07:14Modified: 13/02/2026 - 23:02
France’s President Emmanuel Macron on Friday addressed the Munich Security Conference, hitting back at US Vice President JD Vance’s scathing comments about Europe from last year’s summit, saying “everyone should take their cue from us, instead of criticising us”. Read our blog to see how the day's events unfolded.
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Rubio to meet with Zelensky in Munich on Saturday
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, a US official said.
Russian strikes leave 30 percent of Kyiv schools without heat
Heating has been cut in over 30 percent of schools in Kyiv following Russian strikes on the power grid, Kyiv authorities said.
The attacks come at a moment of particularly biting temperatures in Ukraine, which have dropped to as low as -20C throughout winter.
Following the strikes, 315 schools and kindergartens in Kyiv “were left without heating”, municipal authorities said, adding that the figure amounted to “more than 30 percent of all the city’s educational institutions”.
“Schools are temporarily merging so that children can continue their in-person education,” authorities said.
Macron warns against aggressive Russia – even in event of peace deal
Frenc President Emmanuel Macron also spoke about the war in Ukraine and warned of the threat Russia will continue to pose to Europe – even in the event of a peace deal.
“If we reach a settlement on Ukraine, we will still have to contend with an aggressive Russia,” he said. “We will have to define rules of coexistence that limit the risk of escalation.”
World should 'take cue' from, not 'criticise' Europe, says Macron
Addressing the Munich Security Conference in Germany, France’s President Emmanuel Macron defended his continent as an example to follow, as Europe seeks to rebuild strained ties with the United States.
“Everyone should take their cue from us, instead of criticising us,” he said, after US Vice President JD Vance last year used his address to the annual gathering to attack European policies on immigration and free speech, shocking European allies.
Ukrainian missile attack kills two in Russia’s Belgorod, governor says
A Ukrainian missile attack has killed two people and injured three in the Russian city of Belgorod near the border, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
Gladkov, writing on Telegram, said the men were killed at an infrastructure site in the city. He said the attack caused serious damage to energy facilities.
Belgorod, about 40 kilometres from the border, has come under frequent attack from Ukrainian forces.
German spy chief warns of Russian threat to local polls
Germany's foreign intelligence chief suspects that Russia is planning to target the country’s high-stakes regional elections this year with "hybrid" attacks.
“Elections in Moldova and Romania are recent examples, and we expect more hybrid campaigns throughout this election year in Germany,” Martin Jaeger, the head of the BND foreign intelligence agency, said at the Munich Security Conference.
“This raises the question, do we simply want to continue to observe and record these developments, or have we reached a point where we must take action—counter-measures?”
“I’m deeply convinced we should much more often prove that we would be able to do very similar things to make the other side also feel the pain,” he added.
Five German states hold elections this year and all eyes are on whether the far-right AfD, which has been surging in the polls and is seen as Moscow-friendly, will succeed in taking power in any of the regions.
Trump tells Ukraine's Zelensky to 'get moving' on deal with Russia
US President Donald Trump is concerned that Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky is going to miss an opportunity for peace if he does not “get moving”, saying Russia wants to make a deal amid the ongoing war.
“Russia wants to make a deal, and Zelensky’s going to have to get moving. Otherwise he’s going to miss a great opportunity. He has to move,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Zelensky has held meeting with Iranian opposition figure Pahlavi
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has held a meeting with Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah and a prominent voice in the opposition.
“We discussed the importance of strengthening sanctions against the Iranian regime and any other dictatorial regimes,” Zelensky said on X, adding that they both condemned cooperation between Russia and Iran.
Ukrainian Heraskevych loses appeal against Olympics disqualification
Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych has had his appeal of disqualification denied by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
"CAS has failed us,” Heraskevych told reporters. “We will consider our next steps."
France most worried about security in EU amid rising threats, survey shows
Eight in 10 French people worry about their country’s security and only about four in 10 believe the EU can protect them, making France among the least trusting of Brussels’ defence role, a survey by the European Commission shows.
Overall, 68 percent of Europeans are worried about threats, with the Netherlands, Denmark, Cyprus, and Germany also reporting relatively high levels of concern, according to the Eurobarometer poll.
Europe should speak to Russia with ‘one voice’, Putin foe Khodorkovsky says
Europe could be facing a period of prolonged tensions with Russia reminiscent of the Cold War, and should speak to Moscow with “one voice” to get its interests heard, Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky told AFP in an exclusive interview.
The exiled former oil tycoon expressed caution about completely restoring relations with Vladimir Putin’s Russia but said keeping channels of dialogue open were “absolutely necessary” to avoid a military clash.
“I am absolutely sure that in the next five to 10 years, Europe will face a cold war with Russia, which will most likely be combined with a hybrid war,” Khodorkovsky said.
To avoid it, “it would be preferable for Europe to speak with one voice”, he said, suggesting that Europe nominates one person to represent them.
Khodorkovsky was formerly Russia’s richest man until a falling-out with Putin saw him arrested and imprisoned for 10 years.
Ukraine-US reconstruction fund received over 60 project offers so far, PM says
The Ukrainian-American Reconstruction Investment Fund has already received more than 60 project proposals in its first month of accepting applications, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on X.
“Our goal is to sign the first three investment agreements by the end of 2026. The Fund will prioritise projects that can leverage additional capital and generate the greatest long-term impact for Ukraine’s economy.”
China tells Ukraine willing to offer ‘new humanitarian aid’
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi told his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiga that Beijing would be willing to offer “new humanitarian aid”, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement read out to journalists at the Munich Security Conference.
“China-Ukraine ties should remain on the right track... China is willing to provide Ukraine with new humanitarian aid”.
Germany's Merz says culture wars have opened 'rift' between US and Europe
“A rift” has opened between the United States and Europe, driven by culture wars of US President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.
“Let me begin with the uncomfortable truth: A rift, a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States,” Merz said at the Munich Security Conference.
“(US) Vice President JD Vance said this a year ago here in Munich. He was right in his description,” Merz said, referring to a 2025 speech in which Vance accused Europe of stifling free speech and other democratic rights.
Merz also called for the US and Europe to “repair and revive trans-Atlantic trust together,” arguing that even America is not powerful enough to go it alone in an increasingly threatening world.
Merz called for a “new trans-Atlantic partnership”.
Sweden to contribute $85 million to Ukraine weapons initiative
Sweden will contribute $85 million to the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, to supply Ukraine with US weapons, the Nordic country’s government said.
Germany says in talks with France about European nuclear deterrent
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he is in talks with French President Emmanuel Macron about nuclear deterrence, as worries grow about US security commitments to Europe.
“I have held confidential talks with the French president about European nuclear deterrence,” Merz said at the opening of the Munich Security Conference.
He previously said he was open to France extending its nuclear deterrent in Europe. Germany, which cannot acquire its own atomic weapons due to treaty obligations, has traditionally relied on the US nuclear umbrella via its participation in NATO.
German leader Friedrich Merz speaks at the Munich Security Conferebce. © Michael Probst, AP
Ukraine hopes for 'serious and responsible' talks with Russia in Geneva
Ukraine hopes for "serious and responsible" talks with Russia backed by the US in Geneva on February 17-18, the head of Kyiv's delegation said.
The Ukrainian team remains the same and was "formed taking into account the military, political, and security components of the process", Rustem Umerov said on the Telegram app.
Moscow announced earlier on Friday that the Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky will head the Russian delegation instead of Igor Kostyukov, its head of military intelligence.
Zelensky visits joint Ukrainian-German drone production site
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had visited a joint Ukrainian-German drone production facility and received the first jointly made attack drone.
"Ukraine has long worked to open coproduction lines in Europe. And today – this line is operational. First in Germany. This is a real result. Overall, by the end of the year we will open 10 joint ventures producing Ukrainian drones," he said on X.
Yesterday's key events:
French President Emmanuel Macron said he does not expect to speak with his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin in the coming days, insisting that European nations first need to agree on what they want from Moscow.
Britain and its allies have pledged some €30 billion in military aid for Ukraine, British defence minister John Healey told a press conference after a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group.
Norway announced it was buying a "large volume" of French glide bombs as part of a bilateral agreement to support Ukraine militarily against Russia's invasion.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP, Reuters)
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