‘Unacceptable, irrelevant, election interference’: JD Vance’s Munich speech slammed by Europe, praised by Russia

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius strongly criticised US Vice President JD Vance following his speech at the Munich Security Conference on Friday (Feb 14).

In his speech, Vance accused European governments of disregarding public concerns about immigration and stifling free speech, sparking backlash from European officials.

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'Not acceptable'

The EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, reacting to US vice president JD Vance’s speech, said it felt like Washington was “trying to pick a fight” with Europe.

Kallas told reporters, "Listening to that speech, they try to pick a fight with us and we don’t want to pick a fight with our friends."

Speaking from the main stage at the conference on Friday, Pistorius condemned Vance’s speech. “Democracy was called into question by the US Vice President forthe whole of Europe earlier,” he said.

Vance's comparison of certain European conditions to those in authoritarian states was particularly unacceptable, according to Pistorius. “He speaks of the annihilation of democracy. And if I have understood him correctly, he is comparing conditions in parts of Europe with those in authoritarian regions... that is not acceptable,” he was quoted as saying by AFP.

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard also responded to Vance’s criticism, which was seen as a reference to the conviction of Salman Majek in Sweden. Majek had taken part in multiple Qur’an burnings in Stockholm and was found guilty of incitement against an ethnic group.

“As a Swedish politician, I do not review [decisions by] independent courts, and I think politicians in other countries should also refrain from doing so,” Stenergard stated.

Former Swedish Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt also weighed in, offering a harsh assessment of Vance’s speech. “The #MSC2025 speech by [US] VP Vance was significantly worse than expected. At best it was totally irrelevant to European or global security concerns. At worst it was blatant interference in the [German] election campaign in favour of far-right AfD,” Bildt wrote.

Vance’s speech received a much warmer reception in Russia. A correspondent from Rossiya 1, one of the country's most-watched television channels, praised his address. “It was very nice to hear Vance’s very strong speech,” the correspondent said.

Another Journalist Asya Yemelyanova also reacted positively, describing Vance’s speech as “a public caning.” She added, “I can't call it anything else. It was also nice to watch the faces of those listening to him,”

What did JD Vance say in his Munich address?

In his address, Vance urged Europe to promote freedom and tackle what he described as “the threat that I worry most, the threat from within.” He warned against what he saw as a retreat from fundamental values due to free speech restrictions, online content moderation, and political barriers against radical parties.

Vance also accused European leaders of being fearful of their own voters, particularly on immigration. He argued that such an approach could weaken democracy by discouraging public participation in political processes.

He dismissed concerns about Elon Musk’s alleged interference in European elections, saying, “If American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg’s scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk.”

Additionally, he called for an end to political “firewalls,” referring specifically to Germany’s strategy of excluding far-right parties such as the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). His comments came just nine days before Germany’s federal election next Sunday.

(With inputs from agencies)