London —
“I have great affection for Europeans,” Vice President JD Vance stated during an interview with a U.K.-based news outlet earlier this week, discussing various topics concerning the relationship between the U.S. and Europe. Although the American VP highlighted the longstanding cultural connections between America and Europe, he reaffirmed the position held by the previous administration under Trump—that the continent needs to enhance its own defense efforts against emerging challenges rather than relying solely on the security provided by the United States, avoiding dependency as what some might call a “shielded subordinate.”
According to the outlet’s report, the interview with the UnHerd news website addressed issues related to security, tariffs and trade, as well as the conflict in Ukraine.
report
During his interview with Vance, here are some of the main points made by the vice president regarding these issues.
Vance regarding U.S.-European relations and security issues
“I have consistently maintained that it’s impossible to divorce American culture from European culture. Our identity is deeply rooted in philosophical and theological ideas, along with the migratory trends originating from Europe that led to the establishment of the United States,” Vance reportedly told UnHerd.
UnHerd was established by the wealthy hedge fund executive Paul Marshall. He is also the owner of the British conservative-leaning publication, The Spectator, and shares ownership of GB News, a network aiming to be the UK counterpart to Fox News.
“It’s not good for Europe to be the permanent security vassal of the United States,” Vance told the outlet, adding that he believes
Europe’s increased independence
From the perspective of the U.S., enhanced security cooperation would also prove advantageous domestically, using the Iraq invasion as an instance where a more proactive ally might have been beneficial for Washington.
“Something I know a little bit more personally: I think a lot of European nations were right about our invasion of Iraq,” said Vance, who served as a U.S. Marine for four years, including a stint as a news reporter for the military in Iraq. “Frankly, if the Europeans had been a little more independent, and a little more willing to stand up, then maybe we could have saved the entire world from the strategic disaster that was the American-led invasion of Iraq.”
Vance likewise echoed common criticisms from the Trump administration regarding the present military capabilities of European nations.
“The reality is — it’s blunt to say it, but it’s also true — that Europe’s entire security infrastructure, for my entire life, has been subsidized by the United States of America,” Vance said. “Most European nations don’t have militaries that can provide for their reasonable defense.”
Vance regarding the conflict in Ukraine
Vance, who berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alongside President Trump in an
explosive meeting at the White House
Earlier this year, they dismissed claims that the Trump administration had
supported Russian narratives
regarding the conflict that Vladimir Putin initiated over three years ago.
“It seems rather ridiculous for Zelenskyy to instruct the [American] administration, which is presently supporting his whole government and war efforts, that we might be aligned with the Russians,” Vance stated.
Vance told UnHerd he had “tried to apply strategic recognition that if you want to end the conflict, you have to try to understand where both the Russians and the Ukrainians see their strategic objectives. That doesn’t mean you morally support the Russian cause, or that you support the full-scale invasion, but you do have to try to understand what are their strategic red lines, in the same way that you have to try to understand what the Ukrainians are trying to get out of the conflict.”
Vance discusses the consequences of Trump’s tariffs
According to UnHerd, Vance stated that in the long run, “our aim should be to achieve lower trade deficits, essentially in all areas.”
At times, a trade deficit can make sense,” Vance stated. “For instance, America does not manufacture bananas. Therefore, it’s clear that we will import more bananas than export them. Consequently, for specific types of goods and perhaps even particular nations, having a modest trade deficit could be reasonable.
However, according to Vance, the global trading system has resulted in significant and ongoing trade deficits across various sectors, with most nations essentially relying on the U.S. to soak up excess exports. This situation has proven detrimental to Americans; it’s hurt manufacturing and jobs. Furthermore, he warns that should America engage in another war down the line, this scenario could also adversely affect our military personnel.
Mr.
Trump’s tariffs
caused large drops in global stock markets, and while some of those losses have been recovered, analysts warn the trade war will keep the markets volatile. Vance acknowledged that tumult, but reiterated the White House’s stance that some disruption is a necessary cost of fundamentally changing the global system of trade.
“Any implementation of a new system is fundamentally going to make financial markets jittery,” he told UnHerd. “The President has been very consistent that this is a long-term play.”
But the vice president also hinted at flexibility that Mr. Trump and his close aids did not initially indicate would be feasible when the steep tariffs were announced.
“Of course, you have to be responsive to what the business community is telling you, what workers are telling you, what bond markets are telling you. These are all variables that we have to be responsive to,” he said, to “make the policy successful.”
Vance specifically addressed the U.K., stating that the U.S. aimed to secure a trade agreement with their longtime close partner, and he suggested there was “a strong possibility” of this occurring.
“We’re definitely putting in significant effort alongside Keir Starmer’s administration,” Vance stated to UnHerd. “The president genuinely cherishes the United Kingdom. He held deep respect for the queen and now feels admiration and affection towards the king. This bond is quite crucial. Additionally, being a businessman himself, he maintains several key business connections in the UK. However, I believe this connection runs far deeper. There exists a genuine cultural resonance, and fundamentally, America identifies as an Anglo nation.”
He said other European countries had more of a trade deficit with the U.S., so reaching a deal with the European Union or its 27 member states could be harder.
“With the United Kingdom, we have a much more reciprocal relationship than we have with, say, Germany,” Vance said. “While we love the Germans, they are heavily dependent on exporting to the United States but are pretty tough on a lot of American businesses that would like to export into Germany.”
