Three American speeches at Munich, and plenty of confusion

European leaders have had three markedly different descriptions over the past year of how the United States now views its alliances, each message nudging them toward a new era in which Washington’s commitment to their defense may be more limited. The speeches ranged from a blistering critique of European-style democracy to an idealized appeal to shared heritage and, finally, to a pragmatic call to focus on concrete interests.

Vice President JD Vance’s address last year condemned aspects of European democracy and met with stunned silence, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a softer, more nostalgic line, warning of “civilizational erasure” and asserting, “We are bound to one another by the deepest bonds that nations could share, forged by centuries of shared history, Christian faith, culture, heritage, language, ancestry and the sacrifices our forefathers made together for the common civilization to which we have fallen heir.” Mr.

united states, alliances, munich, jd vance, marco rubio, european democracy, civilizational erasure, shared heritage, defense, concrete interests