US Vice-President JD Vance delivered a speech at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on Friday (Feb 14). He began by paying tribute to those affected by the recent suspected car-ramming attack in Munich.

Advertisment

Vance quickly turned to the ongoing war in Ukraine, a key focus of the conference.

"The Trump administration is very concerned with European security and believes that we can come to a reasonable settlement between Russia and Ukraine," he said.

Also read: Ukraine's Zelensky says talks with Trump ‘not enough’ for peace as Russia skips Munich Security Conference

Advertisment

He then shifted his attention to what he perceived as the more pressing danger to Europe.

"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. 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," he said.

Vance says free speech 'in retreat' in Europe

Advertisment

Vance strongly criticised what he saw as growing restrictions on free speech across Europe.

"In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat," he said.

"I happen to think your democracies are substantially less brittle than many people apparently fear. And I really do believe that allowing our citizens to speak their mind will make them stronger still," he added.

He pointed to several examples, including EU regulations on content moderation and German police conducting raids against individuals suspected of making anti-feminist comments online in efforts to combat misogyny.

Vance questioned Europe's core principles, asking, "What you are defending yourselves for."

"If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you, nor, for that matter, is there anything that you can do for the American people who elected me and elected President Trump," he said.

He then addressed migration, referencing the suspect in the previous day’s attack in Munich, a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker.

"How many times must we suffer these appalling setbacks before we change course and take our shared civilisation in a new direction?" he asked.

“In Washington, there is a new sheriff in town. Under Donald Trump's leadership, we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer them in the public square — agree or disagree,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)