US VP Criticizes Europe, Ukraine-Russia War Talks Stalled

MUENCHEN, SATURDAY - Criticism from United States Vice President JD Vance towards Europe has instead sparked new tensions during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

While the discussion of the Russia-Ukraine war has not yielded any significant results, Europe is quietly preparing plans to send troops to the battlefield.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, on Friday (14/2/2025) local time or Saturday Indonesian time, Vance accused European leaders of censoring freedom of speech and failing to control immigration.

In his highly anticipated speech, he did not discuss much about the Russia-Ukraine war. Vance's criticism was sharply countered by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

In fact, the prospect of peace negotiations is expected to dominate the Munich Security Conference held annually. This follows a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin this week.

The phone conversation between Trump and Putin has raised concerns that the US might end its support for Ukraine in the three-year ongoing war.

In his speech, Vance stated that the threat to Europe that worries him the most is not Russia or China. According to him, the threat to Europe actually comes from the decline in fundamental values to protect freedom of speech and uncontrolled immigration.

"The threat that I am most concerned about for Europe is not Russia. Nor is it China. Nor any other external factors. What I am worried about is the threat from within, Europe's retreat from some of the most fundamental values, the values upheld by the United States," he said in front of European ministers and high-ranking officials.

He also issued a warning to European officials. “If you run for office because you are afraid of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you,” he said.

Vance warned European officials about illegal migration, saying Europeans had voted to open “the floodgates to millions of unchecked migrants.”

Vance was referring to a car-ramming attack that injured 30 people in Munich on Thursday. The suspect in that attack was a 24-year-old Afghan who arrived in Germany as an asylum seeker in 2016.

Vance's stunning speech was met with silence at the conference, with only a small applause heard after he delivered his speech.

In his speech, Pistorius hit back sharply and called Vance's remarks unacceptable. He said Vance had questioned democracy not only in Germany, but in Europe as a whole.

The tensions have further highlighted the differences between the new Trump administration and European leaders, making it increasingly difficult for the U.S. and Europe to find common ground on a range of issues, including the Ukraine war.

After his speech, Vance met with Alice Weidel, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Trump’s phone call with Putin this week has alarmed European governments that have isolated the Russian president since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. European leaders worry that they are being left out of peace talks, which could have implications for regional security.

At the annual conference, Vance also reiterated Trump’s demand that Europe do more to safeguard its own defenses so that Washington can focus on other regions, particularly the Indo-Pacific.

Vance made the remarks as he met separately with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

At the meeting, he reiterated calls for NATO members to spend more on defense. "In the future, we think Europe should take a bigger role in its own security," he said at the meeting with Steinmeier.

Currently, only 23 of NATO's 32 member states have reached the target of spending 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense. In that regard, European leaders have refuted the White House's claim that Europe is dependent on the US, saying the claim is inconsistent with the data.

Europe has rallied behind Ukraine since Russia's invasion. The US has poured more than $66 billion in arms and military aid into Ukraine.

While Europe and other allies have sent $60 billion in arms to Kyiv, “We have imposed very tough sanctions, which have substantially weakened the Russian economy,” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in remarks at the conference.

"We have broken one taboo after another and destroyed our dependence on Russian gas, making us permanently more resilient. And, we will do more," he said.

We have imposed very tough sanctions, which have substantially weakened the Russian economy.

Rutte backed Vance's comments, saying Vance was absolutely right about the need for Europe to step up and do more for its own defense. "We have to grow in that sense and spend more," Rutte said.

At the conference, several European leaders said Europe would increase its defense spending, but also needed to discuss with Washington a gradual phase-out of U.S. support.

On the same day, Vance met with Zelenskyy for 40 minutes. However, both parties were unwilling to reveal the contents of the conversation.

After the meeting, Zelenskyy said only that his country wanted security guarantees before negotiating with Russia. "We really want peace. But we need real security guarantees," he said.

Meanwhile, Vance said the Trump administration is committed to finding a lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia. “Basically, the goal is, as President Trump has outlined, we want the war to end,” Vance said.

"We want the killing to stop. Not peace that will only make Eastern Europe conflicted for years to come," he added.

Zelenskyy appeared to soften his stance after the meeting. Shortly before the meeting, Zelenskyy had said he would only agree to meet Putin in person after a joint plan was negotiated with Trump.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned against any attempt to impose a peace deal on Ukraine, calling it a "fake peace."

"A fake peace, which will not benefit Ukraine and Europe, will not lead to anything. A fake peace will not bring lasting security, neither to the Ukrainian people nor to us in Europe or the US," he said.

After three years of war, Russia now controls about 20 percent of Ukraine.

Increasingly concerned that US security priorities are shifting, a group of European countries have quietly drawn up plans to send troops to Ukraine.

The effort was spearheaded by Britain and France. The countries involved in the plan kept the details secret to prevent Putin from profiting from the information.

"I won't go into specifics, but I accept that if there is to be peace, there needs to be some kind of security guarantee for Ukraine. Britain will play its part in that," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

The plan began to be discussed a year ago. European countries began exploring what kind of force might be needed to send troops to Ukraine.

However, the discussion is considered increasingly urgent amid concerns about the Trump administration's plans. One of the concerns for Europe is Ukraine reaching a deal with Putin.

In December 2024, after Trump was elected but before he took office, a group of leaders and ministers met with Zelenskyy at Rutte's residence in Brussels, Belgium. They came from the UK, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. Senior EU officials were also present.

The talks were initially proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron in early 2024. At the time, the idea of deploying troops in Ukraine sparked protests, especially from German and Polish leaders. But the idea is now gaining traction.

However, its realization will depend heavily on the terms of the Russia-Ukraine peace settlement. Domestic regulations of each country are also a limitation.

Italy, for example, has constitutional limits on the use of troops. The Netherlands would need the green light from its parliament.

Germany could also change course after the Feb. 23, 2025, election. Poland is being cautious, given its lingering hostility with Ukraine from World War II. "We are still in a very early stage," Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevklur said.

Experts and officials warn that to send troops to Ukraine, Europe would have to deploy a strong and large contingent, rather than a peacekeeping team like the United Nations' "blue helmets."

"It has to be a real force (so) the Russians know that if they test it, they will be crushed. And, you can be sure the Russians will test it," said Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of the US Army in Europe.

Zelenskyy insisted the number of troops needed would be at least 100,000-150,000. Speculation has it the force would be 30,000-40,000 strong. Diplomats and officials have not confirmed either figure.

In an interview with the Financial Times on Friday, Macron said the idea of deploying large numbers of troops was absurd. "We have to do things that are right, realistic, well thought out, measured and negotiated," he said.

At NATO headquarters on Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth began explaining the conditions under which the US would agree to send troops.

The force is meant to help provide a strong security guarantee for Ukraine. "Any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European forces," Hegseth told nearly 50 of Ukraine's Western supporters.

But he stressed that no U.S. troops would be deployed to Ukraine. From Ukraine's perspective, an operation involving only Europe would not work. "Any security guarantee is impossible without the U.S.," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Thursday. (AP/AFP/Reuters)