Vice President JD Vance is urging NATO members to boost their defense spending amid ongoing shifts in U.S. foreign policy.

"President Trump has made abundantly clear, he believes that our European friends must play a bigger role in the future of this continent," Vance said at the Munich Security Conference, where the war in Ukraine and the conflict with Russia remained central topics of discussion.

During Vance’s address, reactions among European leaders appeared mixed, with some parts receiving tepid applause.

Vance also highlighted issues in Europe, such as media censorship the rise of misinformation and immigration, rather than solely external threats like Russia.

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"No voter on this continent went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants, but you know what they did vote for? In England, they voted for Brexit and agree or disagree, they voted for it and more and more all over Europe, they're voting for political leaders who promised to put an end to out-of-control migration," he said.

Vance warned that the real threat to Europe is not from external actors, but rather from a retreat from fundamental values shared with the United States. Vance’s comments suggest that the Trump administration is looking to not only bolster NATO's defense capabilities but also to engage European partners on critical domestic challenges that could impact collective security.