Striking softer tone, Vance says US and Europe on ‘same team’

Washington : Striking a notably softer tone than his past remarks on Europe, US V-P JD Vance said on Wednesday that the US and the continent are on the same side. “I do still very much think the US and Europe are on the same team,” Vance told the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington.“I still think that this European alliance is very important, but I think that for it to be important and for us to be real friends with each other — and I think that we are very much real friends — we’ve got to talk about the big questions,” he said. Vance shocked Europe when he used a Feb speech at a security forum in Munich to attack EU policies on immigration and free speech.But on Wednesday, Vance spoke about ties that bring Europe and the US together. “European civilization and American civilization, European culture and American culture, are very much linked, and they're always going to be linked,” he said. “I think it’s completely ridiculous to think that you're ever going to be able to drive a firm wedge between the US and Europe.”