Editor’s note: Moses Becker is a special political commentator for News.Az. He holds a PhD in political science and specializes in interethnic and interreligious relations. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the position of News.Az.

The Munich Security Conference 2026 represents one of the most consequential global security gatherings of the year, bringing together heads of state, defense ministers, intelligence chiefs, diplomats, military commanders, technology executives, and leading policy thinkers.

Editor’s note: Moses Becker is a special political commentator for News.Az, holding a PhD in political science and specializing in interethnic and interreligious relations. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the position of News.Az.

The world is facing its highest risk of nuclear conflict since the Cold War, the UN’s top disarmament official has warned. Izumi Nakamitsu, UN under-secretary-general for disarmament, said major powers are accelerating their arms race, modernizing nuclear arsenals amid geopolitical rivalries.

In today’s fractured world, few conflicts are taken at face value. When tensions erupt between smaller states, observers instinctively search for the hidden hands of great powers. Once, it was the United States and the Soviet Union. Later, the U.S. and Russia. Today, the dominant geopolitical narrative has shifted again — and the new confrontation runs through Washington and Beijing.