Germany to revive talks format with France, Poland at defence meet

The chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, wants to bring together the leaders of France, Germany and Poland, namely Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Donald Tusk, at the event in mid-February.

This would be a revival of the Weimar Triangle, a regional alliance of France, Germany, and Poland that was created in 1991.

"I think it's very important that we expand the Franco-German pairing to include Poland as the largest country in Eastern Europe. If that succeeds, it would be very nice. The invitation has been extended," Heusgen said during a podcast.

Looking ahead to the security conference itself, he said that despite numerous crises and conflicts around the world, the event should convey a message of diplomacy.

"We are bringing together politicians, the military and representatives of civil society so that they can find out where there is a silver lining on the horizon," Heusgen told the Table.Today podcast made by digital media company Table.Media.

Attendees at the event that is set to run from February 16 to 18 are to include US Vice President Kamala Harris.

As was the case last year, representatives of the Russian administration have not been invited. "[Russian President Vladimir] Putin would be arrested if he came," said Heusgen. He was referring to the fact that the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Putin last year for alleged war crimes in Moscow's war on Ukraine.