Vice President JD Vance Attends Munich Security Conference

U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrives in Munich on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (Photo: AP Photo/Matthias Schrader).

Vice President JD Vance arrived in Munich, Germany on Feb. 13, to attend the Munich Security Conference (MSC). Key issues on the conference’s agenda included the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the shifting dynamics of international alliances as a result of geographic uncertainty. 

While speaking at the MSC, Vice President Vance ignored many of the issues on the agenda, instead criticizing Europe’s current state—an alleged neglect of voters and traditional European values—which he identified as the “enemy from within.” Vance proclaimed that “[i]n Washington there is a new sheriff in town, and under Donald Trump’s leadership, we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer it in the public square agree or disagree.” This proclamation of a new America comes just weeks after President Trump declared his second presidency a new “Golden Age” in America, rhetoric many European leaders find concerning.

One German official deemed the Vice President’s remarks “insane and worrying,” indicating the increasing concern many attending European diplomats are enduring. While the meeting was meant to prioritize the issues on its agenda, Vance’s speech quickly became the main topic of conversation among attending officials.
With the future of Ukraine—a key topic of the conference’s agenda—left out of Vance’s speech, the two leaders met separately to discuss continuing U.S. support in the conflict. In this meeting, Zelensky advocated for the continuation of security guarantees for Ukraine. Afterwards, he said, “We are ready to move as quickly as possible towards a real and guaranteed peace,” signifying a productive meeting. President Trump will also be conducting separate peace talks with Russia later in the week, hoping to broker a quick end to the nearly three-year long war.

Vice President JD Vance meets with Ukrainian President Zelensky to discuss the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine (Photo: AP Photo/Matthias Schrader).

During his visit to Munich, the Vice President also met with far right German Leader Alice Weidel. Claiming that no political ideology should be excluded from conversations with U.S. officials, Vance met with the chancellor of the Alternative for Germany Party just nine days before an election. 

Weidel, a controversial German politician, has consistently downplayed Nazism and the Holocaust, asserting that it has been politically weaponized to keep Germans feeling guilty about their past. Notably, her party has support from head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk. The billionaire, whose salute after Trump’s inauguration shocked many, virtually attended a rally for Weidel, urging supporters to “move on” from any guilt they may hold as part of the weaponization of Germany’s history. Vance’s visit with Weidel contributed to his message against the censorship of free speech, as many refuse to meet with her due to her Holocaust minimizing rhetoric.

While the Vice President had a packed schedule in Munich, the details of several of his meetings, including that with Weidel, are still unknown. The overarching themes of his visit seem to be that of a new order in America, where a commitment to free speech, far right ideology, and American superiority seem to be top priorities.