Barometer Check: Transatlantic Security and the Munich Security Conference

(Rachel Ellehuus – RUSI) On the final day of the 2026 Munich Security Conference (MSC), a light snow dusted the rooftops around Bayerischer Hof – the legendary hotel that hosts the international security conference – bringing a sense of calm and closure to a hectic week. While this annual event has grown in scale and scope since its inception in 1963, it is best known as the place to take a barometer check on the state of transatlantic relations. This year’s gauge might read as ‘neutral, with pressure slowly falling’. In other words, while the transatlantic relationship is facing little immediate change, minor shifts in the environment are likely. Given the wrong mix of conditions, a sudden fall in pressure could bring about inclement weather. – Barometer Check: Transatlantic Security and the Munich Security Conference | Royal United Services Institute