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When JD Vance took the stage at the Munich Security Conference last week, he issued a strict warning. The Vice President of the United States and the Collected Diplomats told that freedom of expression and democracy is being attacked by European elites: “The most anxious threat about Europe is not Russia, it is not China. The threat is within.”

If Vans hopes to persuade his fans, instead of just insulting him, he has failed. actually, His word It has led to amazing opposite results, as many listeners convince America that America itself is now a threat to Europe. In the crowd outside the conference hall, a prominent German politician told me: “This was a direct attack on European democracy.” “It is very clear now, Europe alone.” When I asked him if the United States now considers a opponent, he answered, “Yes.”

The most positive judgment that I heard in the speech was that it was “boys nonsense”, but it aims at an American audience and thus was safely ignored. But the discharge of Vans – and put it in the context of Donald Trump’s decision to involve Vladimir Putin, with the marginalization of Ukraine and Europe – and it becomes clear that American cultural wars, international security and European policy can no longer decipher.

What Vans did is to sabotage the ideas of freedom, democracy and common values ​​that supported the Western alliance for 80 years. In his world, it is no longer a battle for freedom in Europe that revolves around Russia’s authoritarian and aggressive deterrence, as for Harry Truman or Ronald Reagan. The Battle of Vans for freedom is the battle of saving “Western civilization”, as defined by Elon Musk and others, from dual threats to mass migration and “wake up the virus of reason.”

The Trump administration’s ideology means that, from its important ways, it now feels more rapprochement with Putin Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Putin is seen as a warrior fighting for his country and for conservative values; The Ukrainians were independently rejected with all wrong friends in Europe.

The Trump right -wing extremist administration is like its true allies. At attracting the alternative to Germany (AFD) to welcome the government, Vans call to Europe to turn into a larger version of VikTor Orbán’s Hungary – soft tyranny with a soft spot of Russia Putin. He was telling that in Munich, Vans found time to meet Alice Widel, the co -captain of AFD, but not with Chancellor Olaf Schools.

Before looking at the effects of Europe of what Vans said, we must stop noticing its deep hypocrisy. Trump tried to overthrow the 2020 US presidential elections. His president assumes the lecture of the Europeans on respecting democracy?

Vansaboutism’s classic Russian-style arguments-deviated from attention from the Trump administration’s assault on the democratic institutions of the United States and the Time of Ukraine, which is looming on the horizon-with stories about the alleged persecution of anti-cancellation activists in Britain. Whether it is believed that any of this has a purely psychological interest. It is the strategic effects on Europe that concern.

Trump clearly intends to have an agreement on Ukraine with Putin on the presidents of Zelinski and the Europeans. It could be that Tragic consequences for UkraineWhich may soon be required to accept land loss without security guarantees for the future. The alternative is to try to fight without American assistance.

The effects of the rest of Europe are also concerned. Putin wants to remove him from NATO forces from the entire previous Soviet Empire. European officials believe that Trump is likely to agree to withdraw American forces from the Baltic and perhaps west, leaving the European Union is vulnerable to Russian army that NATO governments warning It is preparing for a greater conflict outside Ukraine.

It is clear that the United States is no longer able to consider it a reliable ally of Europeans. But the political aspirations of the Trump administration of Europe mean, at the present time, America is also an opponent – threatening democracy in Europe and even European lands, in the case Greenland.

So what do you do? Europeans need to start Preparation Fast for the day when US security guarantee is permanently removed. It should include building independent defense industries. The European Defense Agreement, outside NATO, must also mean beyond the European Union – to include Britain, Norway and others.

Trump will use any influence to force European allies in America to comply with issues from trade and security to their local policies. This means that Europe must now begin the painful process of “getting rid of” its relationship with the United States, searching for dangerous dependence areas on America and stripping it of the regime.

Critical infrastructure for musk will create a huge new loophole. The Trump administration will also put tremendous pressure on Europeans to buy more American weapons. In light of the current circumstances that will be foolish.

Many Europeans will knock on these ideas, and reject them as impossible. But they need to understand that their freedom is now at stake. Vans was right in that. Just not the way you thought.

Gideon.rachman@ft.com