US Vice President JD Vance criticized European governments for what he described as censorship of free speech and their political opponents, largely avoiding the question of how to resolve the war in Ukraine.
Speaking to European political leaders, military officers and diplomats, Vance surprised the audience by dismissing the risk of Russian political interference in Europe, taking a stance similar to US President Donald Trump, who has disputed claims by US intelligence agencies that Russia had interfered on his behalf in the 2016 election, writes A2 CNN.
"The threat I worry about most facing Europe is not Russia, it is not China, it is 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, values shared with the United States of America. In Britain and across Europe, I fear that freedom of speech is in retreat. In Washington, there is a new sheriff in town. And under the leadership of Donald Trump, we may not agree with your views, but we will fight to protect your right to offer them in the public square. Agree or not," said JD Vance, US Vice President.
The future of Ukraine was high on the agenda in Munich after a phone call between Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, in which they pledged to work together to end the conflict, but Vance did not mention that fact. Instead, he accused Brussels of shutting down social media for hateful content and criticized Germany for what he described as crackdowns on its citizens for posting anti-feminist comments, Sweden for sentencing a Christian activist and the United Kingdom for rejecting religious rights.
"The good news is that your democracies are fundamentally less fragile than many people fear. And I truly believe that allowing our citizens to have their say will make them even stronger. Which, of course, brings us back to Munich, where the organizers of this conference have banned lawmakers representing populist parties, from the left and the right. I agree with everything or anything that people say, but when people represent, when political leaders represent a significant constituency, it is incumbent upon us to at least engage in dialogue with them," said JD Vance, US Vice President.
Ukraine, and the prospects for peace talks, preoccupied many at the high-profile global gathering, after US President Donald Trump surprised his allies by calling Russian President Vladimir Putin and announcing the start of talks to end the war in Ukraine. (A2 Televizion)
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