Vance returns to Munich Security Conference to press European defense spending

Vice President JD Vance returned to the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14, 2026, for his second consecutive year, delivering an address pressing European governments on NATO defense spending commitments. Vance's 2025 Munich speech had sharply criticized European leaders on immigration and free speech, generating significant diplomatic backlash; the 2026 appearance continued administration pressure on NATO allies to meet spending targets while the war in Ukraine remained unresolved and European governments debated the reliability of U.S. security commitments.