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Vance says Europe should not be ‘permanent security vassal’ of US

Apr 15, 2025, 7:01am EDT
US Vice President JD Vance
Kent Nishimura/Reuters
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The US vice president criticized Europe once again, saying the continent should not “be the permanent security vassal of the United States.”

JD Vance’s remarks, in an interview with UnHerd, were less fiery than prior comments lambasting what he described as rampant illegal immigration and an erosion of free speech in Europe.

Yet they highlight the widening gulf between the transatlantic partners, which remain profoundly divided over trade and support for Ukraine.

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US President Donald Trump’s “foreign-policy style and process have already done lasting damage to [economic and strategic] relations that will be very difficult to repair,” two experts warned.

A chart comparing European and US defense spending
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