When JD Vance took the stage at the Munich Security Conference last week, he issued a stern warning. The US vice-president told the assembled politicians and diplomats that free speech and democracy are under attack from European elites: “The threat I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s . . . the threat from within.”
If Vance hoped to persuade his audience, rather than simply insult it, he failed. Indeed, his speech backfired spectacularly, convincing many listeners that America itself is now a threat to Europe. In the throng outside the conference hall, a prominent German politician told me: “That was a direct assault on European democracy.” A senior diplomat said: “It’s very clear now, Europe is alone.” When I asked him if he now regarded the US as an adversary, he replied: “Yes.”
The most positive verdict I heard on the speech was that it was “puerile bullshit”, but aimed at a US audience and therefore safely ignored. But unpack Vance’s speech — and place it in the context of Donald Trump’s decision to engage Vladimir Putin, while sidelining Ukraine and Europe — and it becomes clear that American culture wars, international security and European politics can no longer be disentangled.