The chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, has reiterated his invitation to the Russian leadership for the international meeting next weekend.

"The chance that we can actually arrange meaningful talks on the subject in Munich is of course much greater if an authorized Russian government representative who is able to speak was present," said Ischinger on Monday in Berlin on the situation in the Ukraine crisis.

The former diplomat named Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, former President Dmitry Medvedev and President Vladimir Putin.

"Unfortunately, that was rejected," said Ischinger

Ukraine, Russia and NATO are the main focus of the security conference on Saturday.

Already at the start on Friday it should be about global challenges.

Sunday is primarily dedicated to the future of the European Union.

Ischinger also presented the annual report "Security Report 2022" in Berlin.

He notes a collective and, to a certain extent, learned helplessness in response to the multitude of crises.

The conference itself will be attended by more than a hundred ministers and over 30 heads of state and government.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is expected, as is American Vice President Kamal Harris, as well as top representatives from the United Nations, the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The security conference only took place virtually last year due to the corona pandemic.

Despite the Omicron wave, Ischinger decided against cancellation this year.

However, the conference will take place on a smaller scale and under strict hygiene requirements.

Conditions also make it more difficult for Russian guests to arrive, because they are usually not vaccinated with the necessary vaccines approved in Germany.

"That's why a whole bunch of Russians canceled because they don't have these vaccinations," said Ischinger.

With a view to the Russian troop deployment on the border with Ukraine, Ischinger said he still considered war to be inevitable.

"I hope I'm not being naïve," he added.

At the same time, Ischinger firmly rejected accusations from Moscow that the conference had degenerated into an “anti-Russian, or at least purely transatlantic forum”.

Russian representatives could have the same stage in Munich as, say, American representatives.

"I hope that we can talk not only about Russia, but also with Russia at the weekend in Munich," said Ischinger.

Russia has massed more than 140,000 army soldiers on the border with Ukraine.

There are also around 20,000 members of the Air Force and Navy in the region.

The US government has repeatedly warned that Russia could attack the neighboring country "at any time".

Moscow denies any plans to attack, saying it feels threatened by NATO.