US Vice President J.D. Vance is becoming increasingly harsh in his statements about Europe, emphasising its weakness, dependence on the United States and inability to guarantee its own security. According to British Telegraph journalist Roland Oliphant, Vance’s position goes beyond the traditional criticism of American politicians about the EU’s insufficient defence spending.
According to Oliphant, Donald Trump’s team has already adopted a critical attitude towards Europe as an ideology. Vance not only considers European states to be “parasites” living off the US, but also sees them as a space that has lost its fundamental values. It is known that Vance is a supporter of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and openly supports right-wing Eurosceptic movements.
His position was shaped by his personal history: he grew up in the so-called Rust Belt of the United States, an area that suffered from deindustrialisation. This experience influenced his vision of politics: Vance is convinced that the United States should take care of its own citizens first, rather than spending resources on supporting Europe.
He also criticised Operation Aspides, the EU’s initiative to protect shipping from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, as ineffective. American conservatives are increasingly arguing that the US should refocus on the Middle East and leave Europe to its own devices.
If Vance’s policy becomes the official course of the Trump administration, US-EU relations could enter a period of the greatest turbulence in decades.
