Berlin Security Conference Opens for 25th Time
The two-day conference in Berlin, with Lithuania as partner country, focuses on Russian aggression and its threats to Europe.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Sex Crimes
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The two-day Berlin Security Conference began Tuesday in the German capital for its 25th edition. Lithuania is this year's partner country, and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is set to open the event.
Why it matters
The conference agenda centers on the threat of Russian aggression, including its invasion of Ukraine and hybrid attacks on other European countries. Lithuania, which shares a border with Russia, holds a direct stake in those security concerns.
The conference has run annually since 2001, and this year's 25th edition is a two-day event. Details of the special guest's remarks have not been disclosed.
The players
Gitanas Nauseda
Nauseda is the President of Lithuania, a Baltic nation that shares a border with Russia and is this year's partner country at the conference.
Friedrich Merz
Merz is the Chancellor of Germany, the country hosting the Berlin Security Conference.
The details
Nauseda is scheduled to open the conference and later meet with Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The conference program also includes a speech by a special guest whose identity was not disclosed in the available material.
Timeline
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Berlin Security Conference begins its two-day run.
Tuesday, mid-morning: Speech by an unnamed special guest.
Tuesday, later in the day: Nauseda meets Chancellor Merz.
Big Picture
The Berlin conference follows the format of the Munich Security Conference, the annual forum on defense and transatlantic security. Its 25th edition puts Russian aggression and Eastern European partners at the center of the agenda.
Readers following European security should note the conference's focus on Russian hybrid attacks, which bears on regional defense planning. The agenda also places Lithuania's upcoming Council of the European Union presidency under discussion.
The takeaway
The conference agenda signals that European security planning is increasingly shaped by the threat of Russian hybrid attacks alongside conventional aggression. Readers tracking European defense policy should watch how partner countries like Lithuania shape that agenda.
Further reading
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Source note: This article includes information reported by Deutsche Welle.
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