JD Vance slams Europe on not tackling migration and defence after Trump's row with allies
US Vice President JD Vance has again unleashed upon European allies, insisting that they are failing to tackle mass migration and defence.
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After a fracture between the Trump administration and the Europeans over the President's threats to take over Greenland, his deputy insisted that they were trying 'preserve European civilisation'.
In an interview with Newsmax on Thursday, Vance was pressed on claims that Trump dislikes Europe.
"We don’t. We love Europe," he said. "Why do we want Europe to control its borders? Because we love European civilisation. We want it to preserve itself."
He continued: "Why do we care about economic growth? Because they’re one of our most important allies in the world. We share a common civilizational heritage."
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Amid the tensions which have drawn a focus on the future of NATO, the Vice President said that it does care about the alliance and wants European nations to have the ability to defend itself if they were invaded.
"We love Europe so much, we’re actually demanding that they do what their own leadership refuses to do, which is look after themselves and be smarter," he said.
Vance's comments come after a furious reaction from both Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and veteran Prince Harry over Trump's comments that European forces stayed "off the front lines" during the Afghanistan war.
In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Trump said: "I've always said, will they be there if we ever needed them? That's really the ultimate test, and I'm not sure of that."
"We've never needed them,' he said. "They'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan ... and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the frontlines."
In contrast, 'we've been very good to Europe and to many other countries', Trump said, referencing the US, but added: 'It has to be a two-way street.'
It isn't the first time that Vance has hit out at Europe.
The Vice President made a stir just weeks into the second Trump administration, as he unleashed on the continental allies during a speech at the Munich Security Conference in February 2025.
He hit out at Brussels for shutting down social media over hateful content as well as Germany for "raids against its own citizens" for posting anti-feminist comments.
He also criticised the UK for backsliding on religious rights.
Vance said that Europe's greatest threat did not come from China or Russia but from within.
"Europe faces many challenges, but the crisis this continent faces right now, the crisis I believe we all face together, is one of our own making," Mr Vance said.
"If you're running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you, nor, for that matter, is there anything that you can do for the American people who elected me and elected President Trump."