US' Vance underscores Europe's growing security role in meeting with German president

GENEVA

US Vice President JD Vance on Friday emphasized the need for Europe to take a more prominent role in its own security during remarks ahead of a meeting with a German delegation led by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

"As you all know, one of the things that the President (Donald Trump) and I really believe is that Europe is, of course, a very important ally for the United States,” Vance told reporters ahead of the high-level discussions on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

"We also think it's really important to recognize that in the future, we think Europe is going to have to take a bigger role in its own security," he said, adding that as being the biggest economy in Europe, Germany is "going to have a major role to play there."

The meeting comes amid ongoing global security concerns and discussions over NATO’s future, as Washington continues to encourage European allies to assume greater responsibility in defense matters.

Steinmeier, for his part, echoed JD's sentiment, highlighting the enduring partnership between the two nations. "Relations between (Germany and the United States) are intensive. We are deeply connected," he said.

"We should continue to build our relations, and we should continue to take responsibility in our common security," he said.