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By Ellie Cook and Daniel Orton
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Vice President JD Vance delivered a blistering speech at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, warning European leaders that internal threats to democracy—such as censorship, election cancellations, and government overreach—pose a greater danger than external adversaries like Russia or China.
"The threat that I worry the most about for Europe is not Russia, it's not China, it's not any other external actor," Vance said. "What I worry about is the threat from within—the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America."
Why It Matters
The vice president's remarks come at a time of heightened concern over the Trump administration's handling of Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia, with European leaders criticizing what they see as a lack of coordination on peace efforts.
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President Donald Trump recently described a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin as "lengthy and highly productive," fueling fears in Europe that Kyiv is being sidelined in potential negotiations.
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What To Know
Vance spoke to European leaders about free speech, migration, and defense spending while reinforcing the Trump administration's stance on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) contributions.
Vance expressed alarm at reports that Romanian officials annulled an election under pressure from European leaders, citing supposed Russian disinformation.
"If your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn't very strong to begin with," Vance said, challenging European leaders to trust their citizens rather than restrict debate.
The vice president also took aim at what he called a "backslide" in individual liberties across the continent, citing actions by European governments to censor speech and police religious expression. He referenced a recent case in the United Kingdom where a man was convicted for breaching buffer laws surrounding abortion centers, created to protect women from anti-abortion protesters, by praying nearby.
"In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat," Vance said, adding that "you cannot win a democratic mandate by censoring your opponents or putting them in jail."
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He also criticized European authorities for allegedly suppressing political movements they disagree with.
"The organizers of this very conference have banned lawmakers representing populist parties on both the left and the right from participating in these conversations," he noted. "We don't have to agree with everything or anything that people say, but when political leaders represent an important constituency, it is incumbent upon us to at least participate in dialogue with them."
Beyond democracy and free speech, Vance focused heavily on the issue of mass migration, which he argued is reshaping European societies without the consent of the electorate.
"No voter on this continent went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants," he said, linking unchecked migration to rising security concerns. He referenced a recent attack in Munich in which an asylum seeker was arrested after driving a vehicle into a crowd that injured over 25 people.
"We saw the horrors wrought by these decisions yesterday in this very city," Vance said. "How many times must we suffer these appalling setbacks before we change course and take our shared civilization in a new direction?"
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The vice president also reiterated the Trump administration's stance that European nations should shoulder more responsibility for their own defense.
"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 said.
Vance closed his remarks with a call for Europe to reaffirm its democratic principles, with a comparison between activist Greta Thunberg and Elon Musk
"If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg's scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk," the vice president joked. "What no democracy—American, German or European—will survive is telling millions of voters that their thoughts and concerns their aspirations their pleas for relief are invalid or unworthy of even being considered. Democracy rests on the sacred principle that the voice of the people matters. There's no room for firewalls—you either uphold the principle, or you don't."
What People Are Saying
Speaking to Newsweek at the conference, Representative Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican, said: "I'm not sure I disagree with anything he [Vance] said."
Representative Chrissy Houlahan, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said: "[I was] enormously disappointed by this speech...in no way, shape or form what I would have hoped for...I am sorry for that speech."
Representative Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat, concurred: "I was embarrassed by that speech...[I'm not in favor of] policing or criticizing each other's domestic politics."
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, wrote: "Excellent speech!"
What Happens Next?
With Trump and his advisers continuing discussions on a potential settlement to the Ukraine war, tensions between the U.S. and its NATO allies are likely to persist. European leaders are expected to push for a larger role in any peace negotiations to ensure Ukraine's interests are represented.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European officials, meanwhile, are expected to intensify lobbying efforts in Washington to maintain U.S. military and economic support for Ukraine.
Update 2/14/25, 11:46 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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