The Monocle Daily: Munich Security Conference & Week One of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics

Date: February 13, 2026
Host: Emma Nelson
Guests/Contributors: Carlotta Rebelo (Munich Security Conference), Julia Jenn (in-studio), Tom Webb (Milan), Ed Stocker, Noel Salmi, Anuka Himi Vasaneh, Andrew Muller

Episode Overview

This episode of The Monocle Daily navigates the high-stakes discussions at the 2026 Munich Security Conference—a year after a seismic US address challenged the global order—while also checking in on the pulse of the Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina at the halfway mark. Through live reports, expert panel discussion, and on-the-ground interviews, topics range from Europe’s evolving defense posture and Ukraine’s battlefield tech leadership, to the intersection of politics and the Olympic movement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Munich Security Conference 2026: Shifting Tides and Building Alliances

• Opening Tone: Carlotta Rebelo reports on a more subdued, reflective mood ("it's much calmer than last year" [02:44]), contrasting with the prior year's shock from US Vice President J.D. Vance’s divisive remarks.
• International Order & Transatlantic Alliance:
  • Panels focused on the "international order between reform and destruction" and the future of the transatlantic alliance.
  • Finnish President Alexander Stubb stresses:
    "Europe needing to bring its own defense industry together for its own sake…The longstanding alliance, the transatlantic partnership, has worked before, so there's no reason why it won't work in the future. But…we need to be cool, calm and collected." [03:20]
• Europe’s Newfound Confidence:
  • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz:
    "In the era of great power rivalry, even the US will not be powerful enough to go it alone." [04:08]
• America’s Engagement and Climate Action:
  • California Governor Gavin Newsom criticizes Donald Trump's stance:
    “Donald Trump is doubling down on stupid. He is trying to recreate the 19th century.” [04:36]
  • Newsom reassures:
    "Donald Trump is temporary. This administration is temporary… once these three years are over, the United States will be there back and ready to engage." [05:55]
• Reimagining Security Beyond Defense:
  • Rebelo highlights Monocle's event with Hitachi Energy at the MSC, focusing on cross-sectoral innovation (academia, sports, technology) as vital to modern security [06:50–08:10].

2. Europe’s Power, Quality of Life, and Shared Values

• Julia Jenn (in-studio) on Europe's Real Strength:
  • Questions whether slogans like "the US is not powerful enough to go alone" resonate in America.
  • Emphasizes Western Europe’s growing economic clout (GDP ten times Russia’s) and capacity for solidarity, drawing on examples from the Baltics, Ukraine, and Poland: "It’s time for Europe to act like that… so much power to disrupt economically." [09:10]
  • Stresses Europe's higher moral structure and quality of life as central to its unity and soft power [11:22].
• Security as Societal Cohesion:
  • The conference’s expanded lens on innovation, collaboration, and shared values across science, business, and culture underscores a collegiate, integrative approach [12:19–12:46].

3. Ukrainian Battlefield Innovation Shows the Way

• NATO Exercise "Hedgehog 2025":
  • Ukraine's tech-savvy forces, with just 10 drone specialists, virtually defeat 2,000 NATO troops in a simulation [13:26].
  • Ukraine’s battlefield management system "Delta" enables real-time coordination, leveraging AI and rapid information dissemination:
    "The lesson for NATO... is the battlefield is transparent. You can see everything going on at absolutely any moment." [16:23]
  • A cautionary tale for militaries on the obsolescence of old hierarchies; information flow trumps rank [16:53].

4. Ukraine at the Olympics: War, Loss, and Solidarity

• The Story of Skeleton Racer Vladyslav Heraskevych:
  • Attempted to honor fallen Ukrainian teammates with helmet imagery; disqualified for the gesture [17:36].
  • Heraskevych becomes a symbol of Ukrainian resilience and national unity—President Zelensky even posts support.
  • Julia Jenn notes:
    "This has been a real moment of solidarity among all Ukrainians." [18:53]

5. Winter Olympics Milan-Cortina: Atmosphere, Achievements, and Soft Power

• Tom Webb in Milan:

  • Vibrant Olympic spirit despite reports to the contrary; “the vibe is here, the atmosphere is electric” [19:42].
  • Milan’s smooth hosting, pride in the opening ceremony; big brands’ presence ensures a focus on positivity and fun, muting coverage of protests and geopolitics [20:54].

• Political Protests and Media Coverage:

  • Issues like Heraskevych's protest receive little local Olympic coverage due to brand interests [20:54–21:30].

• Olympic Sky Lounge at Allianz Tower:

  • Monocle’s Winter Sky Lounge hosts top design, sports, and hospitality figures [22:15]; Tom Webb lauds the setting and the conversations.
  • Notable guests include the Finnish snowboarding team and representatives for the torch design [22:15–23:08].
  • Preview of the coming week of Olympic programming with Andrew Muller [23:13].

6. Finland’s Winter Olympics Drive and Snowboarding Culture

• Interview with Anuka Himi Vasaneh (Exec. Dir., Finnish Snowboard Assoc.), hosted by Ed Stocker and Noel Salmi:
  • Finland set a goal of six medals; secured one bronze so far [24:55].
  • Star athletes Evelina Taka and Rene Rinnekangas cited as strong contenders.
  • The Finnish Snowboard Association is unique—prioritizing both performance and the cultural aspects of snowboarding [26:50]:
    “It’s not just only high performance but also the culture of snowboarding which is really, really important.” [27:20]
  • Explosive growth in snowboarding youth participation (up 25-30% annually), enabled by long winters and creative engagement [28:41].
  • Vasaneh, a former World Cup competitor, describes the Olympics as a “special event… amazing atmosphere… interesting experience” [30:31–31:07].

7. "What We Learned" with Andrew Muller

• Lampoons Current Events and U.S. Politics:
  • Satirizes a bizarre claim from Donald Trump about China abolishing ice hockey in Canada [32:01–33:42].
  • Covers American Olympic athlete Hunter Hess’s ambivalence at representing the U.S., with Hess emphasizing:
    "Just because I'm wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the U.S." [34:35]
  • Mocks partisan outrage at the Super Bowl halftime show and the supposed “first shots of the Puerto Rican-American War” [34:54–38:40].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Alexander Stubb (Finnish President):
  “The longstanding alliance, the transatlantic partnership, has worked before, so there's no reason why it won't work in the future…we need to be cool, calm and collected.” [03:20]
• California Governor Gavin Newsom:
  “Donald Trump is doubling down on stupid. He is trying to recreate the 19th century.” [04:36]
  “Donald Trump is temporary. This administration is temporary… once these three years are over, the United States will be there back and ready to engage.” [05:55]
• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz:
  “In the era of great power rivalry, even the US will not be powerful enough to go it alone.” [04:08]
• Julia Jenn (on Europe’s power):
  “Europe is a great economic power. Its GDP is 10 times that of Russia's. And so it's time for Europe to act like that.” [09:50]
• Julia Jenn (on Ukraine’s battlefield lessons):
  “The battlefield is transparent. You can see everything that is going on at absolutely any moment.” [16:23]
• Tom Webb in Milan:
  “The vibe is here, the atmosphere is electric…The Italians are fantastic hosts.” [19:42]
• Anuka Himi Vasaneh (Finnish Snowboard Association):
  “It’s not just only high performance but also the culture of snowboarding which is really, really important.” [27:20]
• Hunter Hess (US Skier):
  “Just because I'm wearing the flag doesn't mean I represent everything that's going on in the US.” [34:35]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment / Highlight | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Introduction; recap of last year’s US speech at MSC, guest lineup | | 01:44 | Carlotta Rebelo live from Munich: mood, Macron’s speech, key panels | | 04:08 | German Chancellor Merz’s statement on alliances | | 04:36 | Gavin Newsom on Trump, US climate absence, future engagement | | 06:50 | Monocle’s event on cross-sector innovation at the MSC | | 08:31 | Julia Jenn discusses Europe’s power, values, and message shift | | 13:26 | Ukraine’s tech-driven NATO war game success | | 17:36 | Story of Ukrainian skeleton racer’s Olympic protest | | 19:42 | Tom Webb in Milan—Olympic spirit, local mood | | 22:15 | Winter Sky Lounge—VIPs and expert discussions | | 24:55 | Finnish Snowboard Association’s Olympics overview | | 32:01 | Andrew Muller’s "What We Learned" satirical roundup |

Conclusion

This episode explores how Europe is reasserting itself diplomatically and militarily, experimenting with new forms of alliance and innovation, and how these themes echo on the fields of sports, culture, and soft power at the midway point of a politically tinged Winter Olympics. With sharp commentary and exclusive voices from across the continent, The Monocle Daily offers an enlightening look at the threads tying together geopolitics, collaboration, national identity, and the enduring quest for unity—both on and off the ice.