Vance: President Trump’s NATO remarks sound a ‘wake-up’ to Europe

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) said Sunday that former President Trump’s recent comments encouraging Russia to attack NATO allies that have no economic weight are a “wake-up call” for Europe and its security spending. He suggested that there was.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, Vance argued that Europe is not doing enough to ensure its own defense.

“The last point I’ll answer here is, I know people have heard what Trump has said and criticized it and said, ‘Trump is going to abandon Europe,'” Vance said in Sunday’s speech. He spoke at

“I don’t think that’s true at all. I think President Trump is actually sounding the alarm that Europe needs to play a bigger role in its own security. Germany has lost two of its GDP this year alone. % or more. Of course, this is something that we really had to push for in the United States, and we’re just now finally passing that bar.”

President Trump’s recent comments about NATO have divided members of his own party and fueled anxiety about what a second term in the White House will mean for the Atlantic Security Alliance.

During a Feb. 11 campaign rally, President Trump recalled being asked by a foreign leader about threatening not to protect member states that did not meet the alliance’s defense spending goals.

“You didn’t pay?” Trump said. “You’re a delinquent. No, I won’t protect you. In fact, I’d encourage them to do whatever they want. You have to pay your bills. No need.”

During his term as president, Trump repeatedly pressured member states to allocate 2% of their gross domestic product to defense spending and threatened to withdraw from the alliance on various occasions. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said at least half of the 31 member states are expected to reach this number in 2024, up from seven in 2022.

Vance said on Sunday that while the United States does not want to leave NATO or abandon Europe, he suggested the United States should shift its focus to East Asia and called on its European allies to “step up.”

“The United States has to focus more on East Asia. That’s going to be the future of American foreign policy for the next 40 years, and Europe has to wake up to that fact.” “i don’t think so [Russian President Vladimir Putin] “He poses an existential threat to Europe, and as long as he remains so, it signals that Europe must take a more active role in its own security.”

Vance made it clear that he did not think Putin was a “kind and friendly person,” but suggested the United States should be more open to some degree of diplomacy with the Russian leader.

“The fact that he’s a bad guy doesn’t mean we can’t prioritize basic diplomacy and American interests,” he said.

Vance, a former Trump critic turned staunch ally, has repeatedly voiced opposition to further aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia. The Ohio Republican says he believes Ukraine can never defeat Russia, saying the U.S. needs to accept Ukraine and “cede some territory” to stop fighting Russia. He argued that there is likely to be.