German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday that the rules-based international order has eroded, outlining new proposals to confront mounting global instability and geopolitical fragmentation.
In a keynote speech at the Munich Security Conference, Merz said the world has entered a dangerous period of great power rivalries, with a growing number of wars and conflicts threatening global peace and security.
Referencing this year's conference motto, "Under Destruction," Merz cited Russia's war on Ukraine, China's growing assertiveness, challenges to U.S. leadership, and tensions in transatlantic relations as signs of a changing world order.
"The conference’s motto signifies that the international order, which is based on rights and rules, is on the verge of being destroyed. I fear we need to put it even more bluntly: this order-imperfect even at its best-no longer exists in its original form," he said.
"If there was a unipolar moment in history after the fall of the Berlin Wall, it is long gone. In any case, the leadership claim of the United States is being challenged, and may already have been lost,” the conservative leader said.
