Vance Identifies Major Threat to Europe
The US vice president stated that neither China nor Russia poses the greatest challenge to the continent; rather, it is the erosion of fundamental values that concerns her most. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
US Vice President J.D. Vance has asserted that the most significant challenge facing Europe is rooted within, rather than stemming from external powers like China or Russia. He highlighted concerns regarding what he perceives as a retreat from the continent's core values during his remarks at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
Vance noted that while the United States is focused on finding a reasonable resolution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Europe is grappling with more pressing internal issues. “The threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor,” he stated, emphasizing that “what I worry about is the threat from within.”
He referenced a former senior EU official who publicly celebrated a Romanian constitutional court's decision to annul the first round of voting in the December 2024 presidential election, which was justified by claims of foreign interference. Vance implied that the ruling was politically motivated and highlighted that it occurred because events did not “go to plan” in Romania.
The vice president expressed optimism about achieving a “reasonable settlement between Russia and Ukraine” and stressed the importance of Europe enhancing its own defense capabilities in the coming years. He also noted, “Of all the pressing challenges that the nations represented here face, I believe there is nothing more urgent than mass migration.”
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Vance described mainstream EU parties as “kind of terrified of their own people” and criticized their efforts to label dissenting opinions as mere “misinformation.” He argued, “If your democratic society can be taken down by $200,000 of social media ads, then you should think seriously about how strong your grip on or how strong your understanding of the will of the people actually is.”
The situation in Romania was brought up again as he discussed the right-wing anti-establishment candidate Calin Georgescu, who led the annulled election round with 22.94%. His opponents alleged that his campaign’s promotional materials on TikTok were funded by foreign entities, presumably from Russia. The judiciary's intervention cited supposed “irregularities” in his campaign but failed to provide substantial evidence.
Media reports later suggested that claims of Russian interference were linked to a consulting firm associated with Romania's ruling National Liberal Party, with allegations promoted by Context, a US-funded NGO. A poll conducted last month indicated that Georgescu could secure as much as 38% of the vote if permitted to run in the upcoming May election.
In January, former European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Thierry Breton expressed support for the Romanian Constitutional Court's ruling, implying that similar actions might be necessary in Germany. Berlin is preparing for a snap parliamentary election on February 23, amid rising popularity for the right-wing Alternative for Germany party.
Responding to the claims regarding Russian involvement in the Romanian elections, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described such allegations as “absolutely groundless.”
James del Carmen for TROIB News
Vance noted that while the United States is focused on finding a reasonable resolution to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Europe is grappling with more pressing internal issues. “The threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor,” he stated, emphasizing that “what I worry about is the threat from within.”
He referenced a former senior EU official who publicly celebrated a Romanian constitutional court's decision to annul the first round of voting in the December 2024 presidential election, which was justified by claims of foreign interference. Vance implied that the ruling was politically motivated and highlighted that it occurred because events did not “go to plan” in Romania.
The vice president expressed optimism about achieving a “reasonable settlement between Russia and Ukraine” and stressed the importance of Europe enhancing its own defense capabilities in the coming years. He also noted, “Of all the pressing challenges that the nations represented here face, I believe there is nothing more urgent than mass migration.”
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Vance described mainstream EU parties as “kind of terrified of their own people” and criticized their efforts to label dissenting opinions as mere “misinformation.” He argued, “If your democratic society can be taken down by $200,000 of social media ads, then you should think seriously about how strong your grip on or how strong your understanding of the will of the people actually is.”
The situation in Romania was brought up again as he discussed the right-wing anti-establishment candidate Calin Georgescu, who led the annulled election round with 22.94%. His opponents alleged that his campaign’s promotional materials on TikTok were funded by foreign entities, presumably from Russia. The judiciary's intervention cited supposed “irregularities” in his campaign but failed to provide substantial evidence.
Media reports later suggested that claims of Russian interference were linked to a consulting firm associated with Romania's ruling National Liberal Party, with allegations promoted by Context, a US-funded NGO. A poll conducted last month indicated that Georgescu could secure as much as 38% of the vote if permitted to run in the upcoming May election.
In January, former European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Thierry Breton expressed support for the Romanian Constitutional Court's ruling, implying that similar actions might be necessary in Germany. Berlin is preparing for a snap parliamentary election on February 23, amid rising popularity for the right-wing Alternative for Germany party.
Responding to the claims regarding Russian involvement in the Romanian elections, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described such allegations as “absolutely groundless.”
James del Carmen for TROIB News
