Far right and Russia are the only ones applauding Vance

The vice-president of the United States fired a broadside of halftruths and conspiracy theories about his allies in Europe - a continent already close to war with Russia - in a rallying cry that will be roared out and multiplied by the far right everywhere.

- SAM KILEY

In his keynote address at the Munich Security Conference, delivered to an auditorium packed with ministers of defence, generals and leaders from across Europe and beyond, JD Vance said: “The threat that I worry the most about vis-a-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within,” he announced to the assembled securocrats.

They would have walked into the hall pretty sure that it’s Russia’s open military and violent designs on Ukraine, the Baltic nations, Poland, and much of the rest of eastern Europe, that’s been keeping them up at night. Nope. It was that a “European commissioner” had “sounded delighted” that the Romanian [presidential] elections were annulled last year by the country’s constitutional court after a hard-right, anti-Nato, pro-Russian candidate of notable obscurity won the first round amid a surge in mysterious backing on social media.

The EU is investigating funding for his TikTok campaign, and Calin Georgescu’s appeal against the decision was rejected by the European Court of Human Rights. Meanwhile, in Moldova, Russia has been exposed for spending – unsuccessfully – €100m on a campaign to get a pro-Russian candidate elected there.