'New sheriff in town': Vice President JD Vance says in Europe

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Feb 2025 18:32
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In a pointed critique, the vice president claimed that the greatest threat to Europe is not Russia or China, but an internal decline in free speech.

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United States Vice-President JD Vance addresses the audience during the Munich Security Conference at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, Germany, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

At the Munich Security Conference on Friday, US Vice President JD Vance affirmed a shift in Washington's foreign policy under President Donald Trump, signaling a more transactional approach to global security and alliances. His remarks come amid growing European concerns over the possibility of reduced US support for NATO and a more isolationist stance from Washington.

"There is a new sheriff in town and under Donald Trump's leadership we may disagree with your views but we will fight to defend your right to offer it in the public square. Agree or disagree," Vance stated, reinforcing the administration's stance on free speech and open discourse.

Europe Must Increase Defense Spending, Says Vance

Vance also pressed European nations to take greater responsibility for their own defense, urging them to increase military spending and reduce dependence on the United States. "We think it's an important part of being in a shared alliance together that the Europeans step up while America focuses on areas of the world that are in great danger," he told attendees.

His comments reflect a continuation of Trump's long-standing criticism of NATO, in which he has repeatedly called for member states to meet their defense spending obligations. European officials have privately expressed concerns that a second Trump presidency could see a reduction—or even a withdrawal—of US commitments to European security, particularly in the face of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Vance: Free Speech, Not Russia, Is Europe's Biggest Threat

In a pointed critique, the vice president claimed that the greatest threat to Europe is not Russia or China, but an internal decline in free speech. "The threat that I worry the most about vis-a-vis Europe is not Russia. It's not China, it's not any other external actor. And what I worry about is the threat from within. The retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values," he said.

He went on to criticize growing restrictions on speech across the continent, stating, "In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat."

Vance's comments align with concerns among conservatives in the US who argue that European regulations, such as the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), may infringe on free expression by expanding governments' ability to regulate online content. While European policymakers defend the DSA as a necessary tool to combat misinformation, hate speech, and foreign influence campaigns, critics say it could be used to silence dissenting political opinions.