According to a report by RT, Vance, in an interview with Rob Schmidt, the host of Newsmax, a right-wing American media outlet, on April 3, targeted the EU leadership. He warned that the biggest threat facing the EU did not come from external forces like Russia or China, but from the failure of its internal policies. Vance expressed concerns about Europe's approaches to immigration, defense spending, and dealing with political opposition. Vance said it was their immigration policy that destroyed Europe's "cultural foundation," and their economic policies that weakened Europe's competitiveness. Vance criticized European politicians for being inconsistent in words and deeds, especially regarding the Russia issue. He said, "On one hand, they say Russia is the biggest threat in the world. At the same time, they buy billions of dollars' worth of natural gas from Russia, while only spending 1% of their GDP on defense, whereas we (the U.S.) spend 3% or 4% of our GDP on defense."

Vance interviewed by Newsmax

He further pointed out that Europe's political direction has gradually deviated from the norms of democracy, especially in how to deal with opposition figures. Vance mentioned Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right National Rally, suggesting she had been treated unfairly. "(She) leads in some polls, but is accused over an incredible minor matter. By the way, the case involves her staff, not Marine Le Pen herself. They want to throw her in jail, to get her out of the election. This is not democracy." Although Vance reiterated the ally relationship between the U.S. and Europe, he worried that current internal problems in Europe might damage the transatlantic relationship between the two. "We hope our friends share our values. And Europeans are absolutely 100% our friends. But if they continue trying to put opposition leaders in prison and no longer respect their own borders, this relationship will become tense and will be tested." In February, Vance had already made similar remarks at the Munich Security Conference, criticizing Europe on issues such as democracy and immigration. Vance then said that the biggest threat facing Europe currently came from within, stating that "Europe is gradually moving away from some of its most fundamental values." He criticized Germany's immigration policy and specifically criticized the EU Commission, Sweden, and allies like the UK. Vance also said that although the U.S. would do everything possible to reach a reasonable solution between Russia and Ukraine, Europe had bigger problems. Vance's remarks caused "strong dissatisfaction" among European representatives. Several European media outlets pointed out at the time that his remarks showed that the differences between the U.S. and Europe could no longer be concealed, and Europe needed to take charge of its own destiny. This article is an exclusive contribution by Guancha Zazhi (Observer Network), unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7489670405524013580/ Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can express your attitude by clicking the "Like/Dislike" buttons below.