Putin's speech at the 43rd Munich Security Conference in 2007 was delivered on 10 February 2007, at the invitation of the Munich Conference's Chairman Horst Teltschik. It was the first speech by a Russian head of state at the Munich Conference. The main topics of his speech were criticism of the unipolar world order and of the role of the OSCE, NATO's eastward expansion, disarmament and the Iranian nuclear program. President Vladimir Putin's speech was seen as Russia's message to the West that it would not accept a subordinate role in international affairs. The speech heralded a significant change in Russian foreign policy and signaled a more assertive and independent stance on the international stage. Putin made it clear that Russia was ready to take a more active role in shaping the global order.
The speech came to be known in Russian as the Munich speech ().
Preparations The invitation to Vladimir Putin was extended by Horst Teltschik, the long-time chairman of the Munich Security Conference. Teltschik had met with Putin on numerous occasions since 1999, including private meetings. In May 2006, Teltschik had visited Putin in Sochi privately and discussed the possibility of his participation. He proposed that Putin use the platform to present his position openly and candidly to an audience of significant international resonance. Regarding this conversation, he informed German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a lengthy letter but reportedly received no response.Horst Teltschik, Michael Gehler (eds.), The 329 Days to German Unification. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2024. According to historian Peter Hoeres (de), Putin's key statement in the conversation, as recounted in the letter to Merkel (appended to Teltschik’s 2024 published diary), was: "First, the relationship between Russia and NATO must be clarified and further developed before Ukraine can join NATO, and not the other way around. Otherwise, NATO will be an enemy to Russia." Teltschik added a comment on Putin’s remark, calling it particularly noteworthy because it “signals Putin’s willingness to integrate Russia more closely into NATO—in a sense as compensation for Ukraine’s accession.”
Merkel had last met with Putin on January 21, 2007, in Sochi to personally outline her objectives for Germany's concurrent EU and G8 presidencies, which began on January 1. One of her goals was to renew the EU-Russia cooperation agreement, particularly on energy supply issues. In her 2024 autobiography, Merkel described the meeting with Putin as tense, marked by his accusations, particularly regarding the Iraq War and planned deployments of medium-range missiles, which Putin considered a direct threat to Russia. Merkel suggested Putin should address the matter directly with George W. Bush.Angela Merkel with Beate Baumann: Freiheit. Erinnerungen 1954–2021. Kiepenheuer & Witsch, November 26, 2024. ISBN 978-3-462-00513-4, pp. 379–381.
In the days leading up to the conference, Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov had strongly criticized NATO, particularly the United States. Ivanov had brought public attention to the dispute over U.S. plans to deploy missile defense systems in Eastern Europe, according to FAZ journalist Eckart Lohse.
The night before his speech, Putin met with Minister-President of Bavaria Edmund Stoiber at the Vier Jahreszeiten hotel in Munich. Ivanov and his son joined the meeting later.
Putin arrived in Munich with a delegation of 200 staff members. (Stern (magazine)) His convoy included a specially armored Mercedes S-Class vehicle, followed by other vehicles, including a ZiL limousine.
Contents At the beginning of his 32-minute speech on February 10, Putin stated that the format of the security conference allowed him to "escape 'excessive politeness,' avoid polished, pleasant, yet empty diplomatic platitudes," and speak his mind. He expressed hope that the conference chairman, Horst Teltschik, would not immediately "turn on the red light" and cut off his microphone.
Criticism of unipolar world order Putin emphasized the "comprehensive and indivisible nature of security", stating: "The security of one is the security of all."Compare Charter of Paris: "Security is indivisible and the security of every participating State is inseparably linked to that of all the others." https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/6/0/481447.pdf He quoted Franklin D. Roosevelt: "Wherever peace is broken, it is simultaneously threatened everywhere." This led Putin to his sharp critique of the unipolar world order and U.S. dominance, which he argued endangered global peace after the Cold War's balance of power had collapsed. Putin criticized what he called the United States' monopolistic dominance in the world, and its "almost uncontained hypertrophied use of force in international relations". According to Putin, the result of such dominance was that "no one feels safe! Because no one can feel that international law is like a stone wall that will protect them. Of course such a policy stimulates an arms race." He questioned the legitimacy of such a system: "A unipolar model is not only unacceptable but impossible in today’s world," claiming it breeds instability by disregarding other nations' sovereignty, destabilizing global security. He warned that this unsustainable system forces nations to arm themselves, including nuclear proliferation, referencing Iran’s nuclear program.
Putin declared the "unipolar model" morally and ethically untenable. He cautioned the EU and NATO against unilateral conflict resolution, citing "unrestrained use of force" and erosion of international law. Only the United Nations Charter should govern military action, he argued, rejecting replacements by the EU or NATO.
Role of poverty Putin identified global poverty as a key security threat but criticized aid programs where donor countries’ corporations "pocket the money". He condemned developed nations for maintaining agricultural subsidies: "Let’s call a spade a spade: With one hand, they offer ‘charity,’ while with the other, they preserve economic backwardness and rake in profits."
Role of OSCE and NGOs Putin accused the OSCE of becoming a U.S. tool to interfere in member states’ internal affairs. He claimed its bureaucracy and decision-making processes were disconnected from member nations. Similarly, he alleged that foreign-funded NGOs, though formally independent, served as instruments of external control.
Military interventions Putin criticized U.S.-led military interventions conducted without international consensus or legal justification, arguing they fuel chaos rather than stability: We see growing disregard for international law’s basic principles. One state—the United States—has overstepped its national boundaries in every sphere.
Militarization of outer space Putin warned that militarizing outer space risked unpredictable consequences. He highlighted Russia’s initiatives for treaties banning space-based weapons.
Disarmament
Putin criticized NATO states for refusing to ratify the Adapted Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty concluded in 1999, saying: "Seven years have passed and only four states have ratified this document, including the Russian Federation, while establishing "so-called light U.S. forward bases" in Bulgaria and Romania. He accused NATO of moving combat forces closer to Russia’s borders despite Russia's adherence to the treaty. Russia would later suspend its participation in the treaty in July 2007.
Criticism of U.S. missile defense shield Putin opposed U.S. plans for a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, dismissing its stated purpose of countering Iran. He argued Iranian missiles lacked the range to threaten Europe and warned the system targeted Russia, risking a new arms race. Putin also publicly opposed plans for the U.S. missile shield in Europe, and presented President George W. Bush with a counter proposal on 7 June 2007, which was declined.
NATO expansion and security concerns With NATO only a year away from inviting Ukraine and Georgia in 2008 to become NATO member-states, Putin emphasized how Russia perceived the alliance's previous and projected eastward expansion as a threat: "I think it is obvious that NATO expansion does not have any relation with the modernisation of the Alliance itself or with ensuring security in Europe. On the contrary, it represents a serious provocation that reduces the level of mutual trust. And we have the right to ask: against whom is this expansion intended? And what happened to the assurances our western partners made after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact? Where are those declarations today? No one even remembers them." Putin called NATO’s eastward expansion a "provocative" move undermining trust. He claimed NATO’s military infrastructure near Russia’s borders contradicted post-Warsaw Pact assurances that the alliance would not expand eastward. Citing former NATO Secretary General Manfred Wörner, Putin stated: "The fact that we are ready not to station NATO forces beyond Germany’s borders gives the Soviet Union firm security guarantees."Development of Russian Security Policy Since Vladimir Putin’s Inauguration (2000) (PDF; 0.2 MB) p. 10. Source: AG Friedensforschung (2007) He warned against NATO’s "unrestrained military ambition" and accused the alliance of imposing its will on others. Energy policy Putin characterized Russia as a reliable energy supplier, urging against using energy as political leverage: "We are not an enemy but a partner," advocating transparent and fair energy policies.
Call for a multipolar world Putin advocated a multipolar world with multiple power centers cooperating under international law and the UN. He stressed mutual respect and sovereignty as foundations for stability: "Only through joint efforts can we address modern challenges."
Discussion After Putin’s speech, Horst Teltschik (Conference Chairman) thanked him for his "important address", noting that it introduced "new themes" such as disarmament, arms control, NATO-Russia relations, technological cooperation, and the concept of a "global security architecture"—a topic Teltschik remarked had "not been a priority in recent years". He then opened a 30-minute Q&A session, during which eight questions were posed:
1. Markus Meckel (German politician), challenged Putin’s skepticism of NATO enlargement, arguing that the alliance's expansion reflected the democratic choices of Eastern European states and enhanced regional security. He criticized Russia’s restrictive laws on NGOs and its record of journalist killings, citing the murder of Anna Politkovskaya.
In his answer Putin acknowledged the right of sovereign states to self-determination but asserted that NATO’s military infrastructure expansion—such as establishing bases in Bulgaria and Romania—was unrelated to modern threats like terrorism. He emphasized that Russia had adhered to the 1999 Adapted Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty, while NATO states refused ratification. On NGOs, he accused foreign governments of using them to secretly finance political activities, undermining democratic processes. Regarding journalists, he noted that most killings occurred in conflict zones like Iraq and vowed prosecution in Russia.
2. Johnny Isakson (U.S. senator) stressed the need to secure nuclear materials amid rising terrorism, urging stronger non-proliferation measures.
Putin highlighted Russia’s 2006 proposal for international uranium enrichment centers under IAEA supervision, which he claimed aligned with later U.S. initiatives. He cited Russia’s strict compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and urged reciprocity from NATO states in ratifying arms control agreements.
3. German Ruprecht Polenz (German politician) asked Putin’s position on Kosovo’s potential independence and UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari’s plan for supervised sovereignty.