On February 14, United States Vice President JD Vance was on his first International trip to Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference. Speaking at the Conference, Vance fired his first gun at European leaders. He strongly criticized European leaders, accusing them of undermining democratic values, restricting free speech, and failing in their defence commitments, especially during the Russia-Ukraine war. The US-European relations are expected to go through changes, as Trump has previously hinted and Vance confirmed in his speech.
Vance attacks Europe
“There is a new sheriff in town under Donald Trump’s leadership,” Vance said to an audience of political leaders, military officers, and diplomats. He accused European leaders of censoring social media, interfering in elections, and violating religious freedoms.
Vance criticized Romania for cancelling its December elections over alleged Russian meddling and condemned Sweden for convicting an activist of a hate crime after publicly burning the Quran. He also accused the United Kingdom of rolling back religious rights after the arrest of an activist outside an abortion clinic.
Germany was another target of Vance’s speech. He criticized mainstream political parties for refusing to cooperate with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), a policy known as the “firewall.” According to Vance, democracy should not exclude political groups. “Democracy rests on the sacred principle that the voice of the people matters. There’s no room for firewalls,” he stated.
Vance also claimed that European leaders use terms like “misinformation” and “disinformation” to silence voices they disagree with. “It looks more and more like old entrenched interests hiding behind ugly Soviet-era words,” he said.
Vance’s speech also focused on migration, calling it Europe’s most urgent problem. He pointed to a recent car-ramming attack in Munich by a 24-year-old Afghan suspect as an example of the dangers posed by immigration. “How many times must we suffer these appalling setbacks before we change course?” he asked. “No voter on this continent went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants.”
After listening to these comments by JD Vance, one can observe that his statements are quite serious. German leaders have already tried to ban AfD, a far-right party, which has gained a considerable amount of support in German society, fearing future defeat in the election. On migrants, his statement was truly pinpointed because he gave exact repercussions, such as car car-ramming attacks in Germany one last year, Christmas and again this month. Europe is witnessing a serious social and political change due to migrants, especially Muslim migrants, but the European leader has turned his eyes away from it, citing free speech. Vance’s attack on European looks, like the US is trying to bring their ally on the right path or leave them where they are.
Also Read: Scholz attempts to crush Germany’s democracy, initiates ban on AfD
A Shift in US-European Relations
Vance’s trip to Europe comes less than four weeks after Trump began his second term as US president. His administration has already announced major policy shifts, including a 25-per cent tariff on steel and aluminum imports. Trump has also proposed reciprocal tariffs on countries with unequal trade deals with the US.
The Trump administration has also taken a different stance on the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump recently held a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising concerns that Europe and Ukraine might be sidelined in negotiations. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has told allies that Ukraine is unlikely to become a NATO member and should prepare to accept territorial losses to Russia.
During his Munich visit, Vance met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “Our first meeting — not last, I’m sure,” Zelenskyy said, pledging to continue discussions. Vance also met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy to push for increased defence spending from European allies. The Trump administration has called for NATO countries to allocate 5 % of their GDP to defence, though many currently struggle to meet the 2 % target. The US, under Donald Trump, do not want to bear the load of European security. Rather, the US wants Europeans to pay for their security.
Criticism of European Policies
Vance continued his critique of European policies, stating that the biggest threat to Europe was not Russia or China but a decline in democratic values. He argued that attempts to regulate hate speech and misinformation on social media resemble measures used by communist people/leaders.
He also condemned Germany’s exclusion of the AfD, calling it anti-democratic. He dismissed concerns about Russian election meddling, arguing that if a few social media ads can sway democracy, it is not very strong to begin with.
“The threat that I worry most about vis-a-vis Europe is not Russia, not China, it’s not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values,” he said.
Vance referred to comments made in January by Thierry Breton, a former European commissioner, who had supported Romania’s court decision to cancel the presidential election. Vance criticized this stance, arguing that European leaders fear their own voters and are attempting to suppress them.
“If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you,” he said. “Nor, for that matter, is there anything that you can do for the American people that elected me and elected President Trump.” It was the first time a US leader had openly shown the mirror to Europeans without thinking about repercussions. Europe tasted food of their own from the hands of the US; previously, Europeans were the ones who used to lecture other parts of the government across the globe about democracy, free speech, and society.
European Leaders Left Shellshocked
Vance’s remarks about Romania also drew reactions from Romanian officials, who were surprised by his statements. They noted that recent discussions with US officials, including Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu, had been positive. Romanian leaders rejected Vance’s criticism of their court ruling and defended their so-called democratic process.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius responded immediately, rejecting the comparison between Europe and authoritarian regimes. “That is unacceptable, and it is not the Europe and not the democracy in which I live and am currently campaigning,” he said.
Pistorius defended Germany’s democratic system, arguing that the AfD has full freedom to campaign. “Democracy doesn’t mean that the loud minority is automatically right. Democracy must be able to defend itself against extremists who want to destroy it,” he added.
Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference exhibits an anti-Europe stance from the US under Donald Trump, where now the prime priority of the government is the American people. His sharp criticism of European leaders, migration policies, and restrictions on free speech signals a more confrontational US approach toward its allies and may escalate even further in the coming days.
