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February 17, 2025

U.S.-Europe Transatlantic Rift Grows over Ukraine & JD Vance Speech in Munich
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A rift is growing between the Trump administration and European leaders.
On Friday, Vice President JD Vance gave a speech at the Munich Security
Conference where he repeatedly attacked Europe on a number of issues,
including migration and free speech.

Vice President JD Vance: "And trust me, I say this with all humor. If
American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg's scolding,
you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk. But what German
democracy - what no democracy - American, German or European - will
survive is telling millions of voters that their thoughts and concerns,
their aspirations, their pleas for relief are invalid or unworthy of
even being considered."

While in Germany, JD Vance held a 30-minute meeting Friday with the head
of Germany's far-right Af D party. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rebuked
Vance for meeting with the Af D just a week before Germany's election.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz: "That's why we will not accept if outsiders
intervene in our democracy, in our elections and in the democratic
formation of opinion in favor of this party, the Af D. That's just not
done, certainly not amongst friends and allies. We resolutely reject
this."



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