"The most powerful of those who take the axe to existing rules and institutions is US President Donald Trump," they?wrote in the Munich Security Report 2026released on Monday.

The release came as organizers announced that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead "a sizable delegation" of officials to the MSC this weekend.

Conference chairman Wolfgang Ischinger spoke to DW on Monday, before the annual event opens its doors in the Bavarian capital.?

He said he saw two core functions for this year's MSC, the first he likened to a "bicycle repair shop," oiling the chain and getting trans-Atlantic ties rolling again after a tense few weeks.?

"Part of our mission, I think, is to at least offer the possibility of repair work in terms of rebuilding, trust, confidence building, et cetera?among trans-Atlantic partners. Obviously, trust has been damaged. Think of Greenland," Ischinger told DW's Nina Haase.?

The MSC will bring together about 65 world leaders, including?German Chancellor?Friedrich Merz, along with nearly 100 foreign and defense ministers, top military brass and high-level policymakers for three days of discussions.

Ischinger, a?former US ambassador closely associated with the event for decades, said he also hoped the event would contribute to a more self-reliant Europe, "after 80 years of relying on the American security umbrella."

"It's not written in the Bible, as the Polish prime minister used to say, that 450 million Europeans need 350 million Americans to defend themselves against 140 million Russians," Ischinger said. "Why can we not comply with the American demand of doing more for ourselves to become more capable, more self-reliant? We should."

At the?2025 MSC, Vice President JD Vance launched a blistering attack on the US's European allies?, accusing EU leaders of curbing free speech, permitting too much?migration?and ignoring voters' views.

Vance held talks with AfD party leaders, not represented in Munich that year, on the same visit. But Ischinger told DW that the far-right German party's return in 2026 had nothing to do with pressure from the US administration.?

"That's just a myth. I've never been approached by anyone from the US side about that at all," he said.?

"Second,?I just want to make sure that everyone understands my sympathy for the AfD is close to zero. I have no sympathy for this party, but I need to recognize I am the head of a private foundation which runs a private, independent dialogue forum called the Munich Security Conference," Ischinger said.?

He said that when his predecessor Christoph Heusgen revoked AfD invitations, there was a very specific context.?

"The AfD had just walked out of a speech by President Zelenskyy in the German Bundestag [parliament], which was really something which made everybody, including myself, very, very angry. But since that moment, we've had elections in this country. And the AfD is now the single largest opposition party. Should I ignore that?" he asked.

The 2026 Munich Security Report also aims to focus on what Ischinger called "the elephant in the room," a broader backlash against the principles that have underpinned global governance since 1945.

"For generations, US allies were not just able to rely on American power but on a broadly shared understanding of the principles underpinning the international order," Ischinger wrote in his foreword to the report.

"Today, this appears far less certain, raising difficult questions about the future shape of transatlantic and international cooperation," he added.

While Rubio will lead the Trump administration's delegation, some prominent US critics of the president will also speak at the MSC.?

California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York are all scheduled to participate.

The report warns that across Western democracies, public trust in institutions is eroding, and parties promising radical change are gaining ground.

"The result is a new climate in which those who employ bulldozers, wrecking balls, and chainsaws are often cautiously admired if not openly celebrated," the report says.

Trump's disruptive approach appeals to supporters who believe breaking established institutions can overcome political gridlock, as seen in moves on NATO spending and an Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

But the long-term result may be a shift toward transactional, interest-driven global politics.

"Ironically, this would be a world that privileges the rich and powerful, not those who have placed their hopes in wrecking-ball politics," the report stresses.

Globally, the US "renunciation of core elements of the existing international order" is straining systems already under pressure, from the WTO to humanitarian aid, the report states.

In Europe, Washington's wavering support for Ukraine and shifting security signals are deepening fears as Russia intensifies military and hybrid attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy?is among the most prominent guests expected in Munich.

In the Indo-Pacific, partners face growing uncertainty as China pushes for dominance and US commitments appear increasingly unpredictable.

Ischinger emphasized that regardless of how one views current US foreign policy, it is already reshaping the world in profound ways, with consequences that are only beginning to unfold.

Edited by:?Dmytro Hubenko and Wesley Dockery