 "United States Vice-President JD Vance addresses the audience during the Munich Security Conference at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich, Germany, on Friday. Source: AP")
US Vice President JD Vance Friday (February 14) stressed that the biggest threat the EU faces today is “from within,” and not from adversaries like Russia and China. In his opening remarks at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Vance added that Europe today was retreating from its fundamental values.
“The threat that I worry most about vis-à-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,” Vance said.
He also cited an example of Romania, where a constitutional court recently scrapped the country’s presential elections held last year citing Russian interference. Vance dubbed the development as Europe’s backsliding.
Vance says freedom of speech in Europe under threat
The US VP added that citizens across Europe were being deprived of expressing their views freely and the continent was struggling with a freedom of speech crisis.
“Across Europe, free speech is in retreat. In the interest of comedy, my friends, but also in the interest of truth, I will admit that sometimes the loudest voices for censorship have come not from within Europe, but from within my own country,” JD Vance said at the conference.
“I fundamentally believe that we are on the same team. We must do more than talk about democratic values. We must live them,” added Vance.
‘New sheriff in town’ in Washington
Vance said there is a “new sheriff in town” in Washington with President Donald Trump at the helm, in a combative speech.
“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 said.
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