Feb. 20 (UPI) — In a Thursday speech at the right-wing CPAC meeting, Vice President JD Vance attacked migrants and what he called uncontrolled migration as the greatest threat to the United States and Europe, elevating them over the threats Russia and China pose.
“The greatest threat in Europe, and I would say it was the greatest threat in the U.S. until about 30 days ago, is that you’ve had the leaders of the West decide that they should send millions and millions of unvetted foreign migrants into their country,” Vance said.
Publicly Vance and President Donald Trump are cozying up to Russian leader Vladimir Putin while undermining European allies, and Ukraine.
Vance suggested the U.S. commitment to European security could be contingent on whether or not European allies keep their domestic internal policies in line with Trump administration views.
“There are thousands upon thousands of American troops in Germany today,” he said. “Do you think the American taxpayer is going to stand for that if you get thrown in jail for posting a mean tweet?”
Vance made no mention of Ukraine in his CPAC speech as the third anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine nears.
On X before the CPAC gathering, Vance dismissed concerns of Europe and Ukraine over the Trump administration’s overtures to Putin on peace talks while excluding Ukraine and Europe from the process.
Vance called those concerns “moralistic garbage” as he defended the Trump approach that’s been harshly critical of Ukraine.
Vance said during his speech that he and Trump still consider European allies to be friends of the United States, but he questioned whether European Union countries share the values of the Trump administration.
“So, let’s have shared values,” Vance said.
Meanwhile both former Vice President Mike Pence and former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley called out Trump’s absurd and false claims that Ukraine started the war.
Pence said on X, “Mr. President, Ukraine did not “start” this war. Russia launched an unprovoked and brutal invasion claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. The Road to Peace must be built on Truth.”
The Hill reported that Haley denounced Trump remarks about Ukraine as “classic Russian talking points” and “exactly what Putin wants.”
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said any peace negotiations must include Ukraine.
“Ukraine, Europe in a broad sense, and this includes the European Union, Turkey and the U.K., should be involved in conversations and the development of the necessary security guarantees with America regarding the fate of our part of the world,” Zelensky said.
