The US Vice President argues that Europe’s significant underinvestment in its own security needs to be addressed.
Vice President J.D. Vance stated that Europe shouldn’t be a “permanent security vassal” of the US, emphasizing that this situation isn’t ideal for either party.
His remarks come amid heightened geopolitical tensions between the US and Europe on issues like the Ukraine conflict, with the Trump administration urging NATO members to substantially increase their defense budgets.
In a recent interview, Vance expressed concern about Europe’s approach to security, suggesting it has been a long-standing oversight. He stated, “The reality is – it’s blunt to say it, but it’s also true – that Europe’s entire security infrastructure, for my entire life, has been subsidized by the United States of America.”
He noted that currently only the UK, France, and Poland possess truly self-sufficient militaries, adding, “In some ways, they’re the exceptions that prove the rule, that European leaders have radically underinvested in security, and that has to change.”
I certainly recognize, that it’s not in Europe’s interest, and it’s not in America’s interest, for Europe to be a permanent security vassal of the United States.
The Trump administration has consistently pushed for increased European military spending since Trump’s first term, citing the US’s disproportionate burden. While NATO members pledged in 2014 to allocate 2% of their GDP to defense, some are still working towards that goal.
In February, Trump suggested NATO members consider spending up to 5% of GDP on defense, warning that “if they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte concurred with Trump’s call for increased European defense spending given the tensions with Russia.
Several Western officials have speculated about a potential Russian attack on European NATO members within the next few years. Moscow has dismissed these claims as “nonsense,” asserting that it has no such intentions.
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