There is a certain fragility in moments when generations redefine what they once took for granted. At the heart of Munich this week, beneath the ornate ceilings of a long-standing conclave of diplomats and statespeople, a reminder echoed that the road we have walked together as nations is shifting. Like an old compass whose needle no longer finds true north, the post-war world’s promise of a “rules-based order” has, in the words of one of Europe’s leading voices, faded into something less certain. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stood before a gathering of global leaders and diplomats to open the 62nd Munich Security Conference with a sober reflection on a landscape transformed by conflict and competition. What many had for decades seen as the anchor of international relations — institutions, shared norms, and mutual commitments — has grown fragile under the pressures of great-power rivalry, economic friction, and persistent wars abroad. “This order, as imperfect as it was even at its best, no longer exists in its original form,” Merz observed, his voice carrying a blend of concern and resolve. � euronews In describing the world as “under destruction,” he invoked both the motto of the conference and the palpable unease felt across continents. No longer can nations rely solely on an abstract architecture of treaties and expectations; the turbulence of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the assertiveness of China’s global strategy, and the uneven cadence of U.S. foreign policy have all contributed to a sense that the old certainties are dissolving. � A News + 1 Yet there was no call for despair. Embedded within Merz’s remarks was an appeal for collaboration, resilience, and renewal. Where once a unipolar moment allowed American leadership to set a broad course, he suggested today’s multipolar reality demands shared responsibility, deeper cooperation, and a reaffirmed transatlantic relationship. No nation, not even the world’s most powerful, can shape the future in isolation. � ABC News He spoke of the need to “repair and revive transatlantic trust,” drawing his European partners and the United States back into a conversation about mutual interests and common purpose. This was not the shrill cry of conflict, but the careful murmur of states aware that the fabric of cooperation can fray if left untended. � AP News There was an implicit acknowledgment that change has already arrived, not with a single cataclysm, but through the slow, inevitable pressure of global shifts. The compass may no longer point where it once did, but Merz’s words suggested that a new direction — born of dialogue and shared responsibility — remains within reach.

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