Full speech by US Vice President who shocked European leaders

US Vice President JD Vance delivered a strong speech yesterday in Munich, where European leaders were gathered at the Security Conference.

He said the threat to Europe comes neither from Russia nor from China, but from its break.

The US vice president also called on European leaders to significantly increase the cost of protecting the continent, while America, as he said, focuses on areas of the world that are at great risk.

By JD Vance, US Vice President

One of the things I wanted to talk about today is, of course, our common values. And, you know, it's great to be back in Germany. As you heard earlier, I was here last year as senator of the United States. I saw Foreign Secretary David Lamy, and I joked that we both had different jobs last year than we have now. But now is the time for all of our countries, for all of us who have had the fortune to be entrusted with political power by our peoples, to use it wisely to improve their lives.

And I want to say that I was lucky that during my stay here I spent a little time outside the walls of this conference over the last 24 hours, and I was impressed by the hospitality of people, although, of course, they are shocked by yesterday's terrible attack. The first time I was in Munich was on a personal trip with my wife, who's here with me today. I always loved Munich City and always loved its people.

I mean, we're very touched and our thoughts and prayers are with Munich and with all those who were affected by the evil that caused this beautiful community. We are thinking about you, praying for you, and certainly we will be with you in the days and weeks to come.

We gather at this conference, of course, to discuss security. And normally, we mean threats to our external security. I see many great military leaders gathered here today. But while the Trump administration is very concerned about European security and believes a reasonable solution can be reached between Russia and Ukraine, we also believe that in the coming years it is important that Europe assumes more responsibility for its defence. However, the threat I'm most concerned about Europe is not Russia, it's not China, it's not another foreign actor. What worries me is the threat from the inside. The attraction of Europe by some of its most fundamental values: the values we share with the United States.

I was impressed that a former European commissioner appeared on television recently and seemed pleased that the Romanian government had just cancelled an entire election process. He warned that if things do not go as planned, the same could happen in Germany.

Now, these irresponsible statements are shocking to American ears. For years, we have been told that everything we finance and support is done on behalf of our common democratic values. Everything, from our policy towards Ukraine to digital censorship, is justified as a protection of democracy. But when we see European courts cancel elections and senior officials threaten to cancel more, we should ask ourselves whether we are adhering to a high standard properly. And I say “ ”, because I deeply believe we're on the same team.

We need to do more than talk about democratic values. We have to live them. Within the vivid memory of many of you in this hall, the Cold War ruled against each other advocates of democracy against far more tyrannical forces on this continent. And think of the side in that confrontation that censored dissidents, closed churches and annulled elections. Were they the good <x0 guys”? Of course not.
And thank God they lost the Cold War. They lost because they neither valued nor respected all the extraordinary blessings of freedom to surprise, to err, to invent, to build. As it turns out, you can't force innovation or creativity, just like you can't force people to think what to think, what to feel or what to believe. And we believe these things are definitely connected. And unfortunately, when I look at Europe today, sometimes it's not so clear what happened to some of the Cold War winners.

I look at Brussels, where EU Commission commissioners warned citizens that they are aiming to close social networks during periods of civil unrest: the moment they discover something they have deemed “content hatred”. Or I look at this place where police have conducted raids against citizens suspected of posting with anti-feminist comments on the internet, as part of the “fight against my Lordship”.

I see Sweden, where two weeks ago the government condemned a Christian activist for participating in the burning of the Koran, which led to the murder of his friend. And as the judge pointed out in this matter in a shocking way, Sweden's laws, which are supposed to protect freedom of expression, actually do not guarantee and quote an unlimited “to say or do anything without jeopardising the group that maintains that belief.

And perhaps the most disturbing of all, I see our dear friends, the United Kingdom, where the decline in the rights of conscience has put the fundamental freedoms of the British religious, in particular, in the target. A little over two years ago, the British government accused Adam Smith Conner, a 51-year-old and veteran army physical therapist, of the terrible crime of staying 50m away from an abortion clinic, praying silently for three minutes. He did not stumble anyone, interacted with anyone, simply prayed silently for himself. When British rule forces saw him and asked him to reveal what he was praying for, Adam answered simply that he was praying for his unborn son.

He and his ex-girlfriend had an abortion years ago. But the officers weren't touched. Adam was found guilty of violating the Law of Protective Areas, which criminalizes silent prayers and other actions that could affect one's decision within 200 meters of an abortion clinic. He was sentenced to pay thousands of pounds in legal expenses for the prosecution.

Now, I would like to say that this was a coincidence, a strange example of a bad law against a single individual. But no. Last October, just a few months ago, the Scottish government began distributing letters to citizens living within so - called secure access areas, warning them that even private prayers within their homes could constitute a violation of the law. Of course, the government encouraged readers to report any other suspected citizens to “thought crime” in Britain and throughout Europe.

It scares me that freedom of speech is shrinking, and for the sake of comedy, my friends, but also for the sake of truth, I will admit that sometimes the most powerful voices about censorship have come not from within Europe, but from my country. The previous administration threatened and blackmailed social networking companies to censor so-called dezinforms. Dezinforms, such as the idea that the Coronavirus likely originated from a laboratory in China. Our government encouraged private companies to silence people who dared to say what proved to be a clear truth.

So, I come here today not only with an observation, but an offer. And just as the Biden administration seemed desperate to silence people who expressed their opinions, the Trump administration would do exactly the opposite, and I hope we can work together on this.

In Washington, there's a new leader. And under Donald Trump's leadership, we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to protect your right to express them in public space. Do you agree or not?

Now, we have reached the point where the situation has deteriorated so much that this December, Romania cancelled the results of a presidential election based on the weak suspicions of an intelligence agency and a major pressure from its continental neighbours. As I understand, the argument was that Russian dezinformation had affected the Romanian elections. But I would ask my European friends to have little perspective. You can believe it's wrong for Russia to buy ads on social networks to influence your choices, and we believe that. You could even condemn this on the world stage. But if your democracy can be destroyed by several hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it hasn't been very strong since the beginning.

The good news is that I believe your democracies are actually less fragile than many people seem to fear.

And I truly believe that allowing our citizens to express their opinions will make them stronger. What, of course, brings us back to Munich, where the organisers of this conference have banned lawmakers representing populist parties -- both left and right -- from participating in these conversations. Now, again, we don't have to agree with anything or anything these people say. But when political leaders represent an important electorate, it is imperative that we at least participate in a dialogue with them.

For many of us on the other side of the Atlantic, it seems more and more like old and entrenched interests, because they just don't like the idea that someone with an alternative view can express a different opinion, or, God save us, vote differently, or, worse, win an election process.

This is a security conference, and I'm sure that you all came here prepared to talk about exactly how you intend to increase defence spending over the next few years in line with any new target. And that's good, because as President Trump has made clear, he believes our European friends should play a bigger role in the future of this continent. You probably don't like the term <x0nd division of the burden”, but we think it's an important part of a common alliance for Europeans to take their responsibilities, while America focuses on regions of the world that are at great risk.

But let me also ask: How will you even start thinking about the types of budgetary issues if we don't know what we're protecting in the first place? I've already heard a lot in my conversations with many of the people gathered here in this room. I've heard a lot about what you need to protect from, and of course that's important. But what seems a little less obvious to me, and obviously to many of the citizens of Europe, is: what exactly are you defending yourselves for? What is the positive vision that governs this common security agreement, which we all consider so important?

I deeply believe that there is no certainty if you fear voices, opinions, and consciences that guide your own people. Europe faces many challenges. But the crisis this continent now faces, the crisis that I believe we all experience together, is a crisis created by us. If you're running in fear of your voters, there's nothing America can do for you. Also, there's nothing you can do for the American people that chose me and elected President Trump. You need democratic mandates to achieve something of value in the coming years.

Have we not learned anything from the fact that weak mandates produce unstable results? But there are so many valuable things that can be achieved with a democratic mandate that I believe will come from being more responsible for the voices of your citizens. If you want to have competitive economies, if you want to have affordable energy and secure supply chains, then you need mandates to govern, because you have to make difficult choices to achieve all of this.

And of course, we know that very well. In America, you cannot win a democratic mandate by censorship your opponents or by putting them in jail. Whether the opposition leader or a humble Christian praying in his home or a journalist trying to report the news. And you cannot win a mandate ignoring your electorate on fundamental issues, such as who should be part of our community.

And of all the urgent challenges facing nations represented here, I believe none is more urgent than mass migration. Today, almost one in five people living in this country have come from outside. That's, of course, a record figure. It is a similar number, on the other hand, in the United States as well as a record figure. The number of migrants who entered the EU from countries outside the EU doubled between 2021 and 2022. And of course, it's grown ever since.

And we know the situation. It wasn't created in emptiness. It is the result of a series of conscientious decisions made by politicians throughout the continent and others worldwide over a decade. Yesterday, in this city, we saw the terrible consequences of those decisions. And of course, I can't mention it again without thinking about the terrible victims who were destroyed by a beautiful winter day in Munich. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, and they will be with them. But why did this happen first?

It's a terrible story, but it's a story we've heard many times in Europe, and unfortunately many times even in the United States. A asylum seekers, often a young man in his 20 ' s, now known to the police, smash a car into a crowd and destroy a community. How many times must we experience these terrible tragedies before changing course and taking our common civilization in a new direction? No voters on this continent went to the polls to open the door to millions of uncontrolled immigrants. But you know what they voted for? In England, they voted for Brex. And whether you agree or not, they voted for it. And increasingly throughout Europe, people are voting for political leaders who promise to end uncontrolled immigration. Now, I happen to agree with many of these concerns, but you don't have to agree with me.

I just think people care about their homes. They take care of their dreams. They care for their safety and their ability to make a living for themselves and their children.

And they're smart. I think this is one of the most important things I've learned in my short time in politics. Contrary to what you may hear, some mountains further in Davos, citizens of all our nations do not see themselves as educated animals or as the exchange wheels of a global economy. And it is not surprising that they do not want to be treated as such or constantly ignored by their leaders. And democracy has to solve these big issues through the vote.

I believe that ignoring people, ignoring their concerns, or even worse, closing the media, cancelling elections, or excluding people from the political process does not protect anything. In fact, it's the safest way to destroy democracy. Speaking and expressing your thoughts is not an option. Even when people express thoughts outside your country, and even when those people are very influential and trust me, I say this in a good mood if American democracy can survive ten years of reproof from Greta Thundberg, then you can afford a few months of Elon Musk.

But what no democracy, whether American, German or European, will survive is to tell millions of voters that their thoughts and concerns, their aspirations, their prayers for help, are invalid or unrecognised to consider.

Democracy is based on the sacred principle that the voice of the people matters. No room for barriers. You either defend this principle or not. Europeans, the people have a voice. European leaders have a choice. And I strongly believe that we don't have to fear the future.

Embrace what your people say, even when it is surprising, even when you disagree. And if you do, you can face the future with confidence and confidence, knowing that the nation is behind you. And this, to me, is the great magic of democracy. It's not in these stone buildings or these beautiful hotels. It doesn't even stay in the big institutions we built together as a common society.

To believe in democracy means to realize that each citizen has wisdom and a voice. And if we refuse to hear that voice, even our most successful battles will provide very little. As Pope John Paul II said, in my view one of the most extraordinary champions of democracy on this continent or anywhere else, be fearful.” We should not fear our people, even when they express views that do not match those of their leaders.

Thank you all. Good luck for you. God bless you.