English
US Vice President JD Vance gave a scolding speech at the Munich Security Conference, addressing European leaders and accusing them of failing to live up to the Western values.
Contrary to expectations, Vance did not focus on the security situation and threats aimed at Europe, such as Russia and China, but told the European leaders that first they should have something worth defending and should stop undermining the common values. He specifically spoke about free speech, pointing to the cases of arrests of citizens who expressed opposition to mass migration in the United Kingdom, as well as the case of a man arrested for praying for his aborted son in front of an abortion clinic.
Vance also addressed complaints from European leaders, such as those from Germany, that the US and Elon Musk in particular are interfering in their internal affairs by endorsing the AfD party. The Vice President, who also called on German politicians to drop the political “firewall” that is excluding AfD from coalition talks, reminded the European leaders that they forced the US to listen to Greta Thunberg, and told them that they will “survive listening to Musk for a few months”.
His remarks come days after President Donald Trump launched his push to put an end to the war in Europe. Vance’s speech was expectedly met by strong criticism from opponents of Trump’s policies among the European establishment. Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, who is attending the conference, shared brief remarks from Vice President Vance on his social media.
