Munich Security Conference: Anti-war protests as world leaders discuss stepping up military aid

Europe

Munich was not just the host of a security conference on Saturday, it was also the focus of multiple anti-war demonstrations.

Around 10,000 protesters gathered at the southern German city’s Königsplatz – one of more than a dozen demonstrations across the city which drew together anti-NATO protestors, pacifists and pro-Kurdish activists.

Meanwhile, on the Odeon Plaza, a pro-Ukraine rally was held, calling for more military aid and international support for the war-torn country.

The protests come after two days of talks at the Munich Security Conference, where European leaders and security experts vowed to intensify support for Ukraine as it battles Russian troops.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he believed it was not the right moment to open talks with Moscow.

“It is not the time for dialogue because we have a Russia which has chosen war, which has chosen to intensify the war, and which has chosen to go as far as committing war crimes and attacking civilian infrastructure,” he said.

While insisting he did not want to see a drawn-out war, he said France was ready for a “prolonged conflict”.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed German support for Kyiv was “designed to last”, and urged allies to speed up deliveries of heavy tanks promised to Ukraine.__Courtesy EuroNews