JD Vance said Europe’s “intrinsic threat” was worse than the threats raised by Russia and China in confrontational rhetoric, which violated the so-called democracy and sparked an angry response from African mainland officials.
In a speech at the Munich Security Conference, the U.S. vice president criticized the cancellation of a recent election in Romania, prosecuting an anti-abortion protester in Britain and excluding German politicians from the far right and far away. The event itself.
“The threat I worry most about Europe is not Russia, not China, not other external actors,” Vance said. “What I worry about is the internal threat, Europe retreats from some of its most basic values.”
European officials were shocked by Vance’s attempt to link U.S. security support to his comments on freedom of speech and democracy.
After speaking at the same forum, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius marked criticism as “unacceptable”, adding that he had no choice.
“I prepared a speech today,” Pistorius said. “It should be about European security. But I can’t start with the original intention. . The US Vice President is questioned about this democracy.”
The German defense minister added: “He compared the situation in Europe with that of the dictator. It is unacceptable.”
EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas said she was surprised by Vance’s “speak”.
“I think we can handle our own domestic issues,” Carras told the UK Bank.
As dozens of European leaders, senior corporate executives and senior diplomats seem to be in a grim way, Vance portrays a picture of a continent where democracy is threatened by disconnected elites.
“If you worry about your voters, there’s nothing the United States can do about you,” he said.
In December, Romania’s Constitutional Court took unprecedented steps to eliminate the country’s presidential vote, which was unexpectedly won by pro-Russian superinternationalist candidate Călin Georgescu.
Romanian authorities claim that the political rise of candidates was orchestrated by Moscow, but have not provided evidence of illegal campaign financing or other means of alleged Russian intervention. A new vote will be held in May.
“For many of us, on the other side of the Atlantic, it looks increasingly like the old, deeply rooted interests, hidden behind ugly Soviet-era words like “misinformation” and “disinformation”” Vance said.
The U.S. vice president said a week before the German election that there should be no “firewall” in European politics.
Although he did not explicitly mention the alternative to Germany, his remarks were praised by far-right parties, and polls indicated that this would take second place in the February 23 election. “Excellent speech!” AFD co-leader Alice Weidel wrote on X.
Parts of the AFD have been designated as right-wing extremists by German domestic intelligence agencies, which has also been blacklisted from this week’s Munich conference, and populist left-wing party has been included.
Vance’s wide-sided side a few days after news that the Trump administration announced it would begin bilateral talks with Russia on ending the Ukrainian war.
President Donald Trump’s move bypassed the European capital, exacerbating the danger of post-war security assurances falling into trouble under the new administration.
Vance said European allies planned to tell him how they would increase their commitment to collective defense of the continent. However, he said security will only be achieved by addressing a range of social challenges he described.
“What is the positive vision of sharing security compact that we all think is so important?” the U.S. vice president added. “I firmly believe that if you are afraid of the voice, opinions, and conscience of the people who guide you, you are insecure.”
European officials in Munich were shocked by Vance’s unfair and untrue claim and his connection to the allegations.
“This is angry, totally angry,” said a senior European diplomat. “And it is very dangerous.”
Some officials compared the speech to Vladimir Putin’s speech, and at the same event in 2007, the Russian president warned that NATO expansion had the potential to clash with Moscow.
“He taught us, he humiliated us,” said the senior EU diplomat. “The mood in the room was like Putin’s speech in 2007. . It was outrageous.”
Vance also linked the group’s immigration policy to Thursday’s injured Munich attack on policy that allowed mass immigration in Europe. “We saw the horror caused by these decisions in the city yesterday,” he said.
A 24-year-old failed Afghan asylum seeker pleaded guilty to the attack.
“In increasing Europe, they vote for those who promise to immigrate without control,” Vance said.
He added: “Denied their concerns. . . Keep people out and nothing is protected. In fact, this is the most certain way to undermine democracy.”
The U.S. vice president also criticized the UK for handling a case that was convicted last year after praying near an abortion clinic. The man is in a buffer around the center of a ban on abortion-related campaign.
