JD Vance says Europe should have resisted US over Iraq war

US Vice President JD Vance has called on European governments to show greater independence from Washington, claiming the continent’s failure to stand up to the United States over the Iraq War contributed to one of the “biggest strategic disasters” in modern history.

Speaking to the UK-based news site UnHerd, Vance said European countries that had opposed the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq could have done more to resist.

“If the Europeans had been a little more independent, and a little more willing to stand up, then maybe we could have saved the entire world from the strategic disaster that was the American-led invasion of Iraq,” he said.

Vance, who served as a military journalist with the US Marines in Iraq, said many European leaders were right in opposing the war but failed to act forcefully.

In the same UnHerd interview, Vance reaffirmed that the US would benefit from a more assertive and self-reliant Europe: “I don’t want the Europeans to just do whatever the Americans tell them to do. I don’t think it’s in their interest, and I don’t think it’s in our interests, either.”

Countries such as France, Germany, and Belgium had resisted US calls for support at the time, while others — including the UK, Spain, and Italy — joined the coalition.

“I love Europe … I love European people,” Vance said, adding: “It’s not good for Europe to be the permanent security vassal of the United States.”

The vice president’s comments are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to pressure European allies on defence spending, economic policy, and trade relations.

At the Munich Security Conference in February, Vance launched a sharp critique of European leaders over immigration and cultural issues.

He has since attempted to strike a more diplomatic tone, particularly towards the UK. “There’s a good chance that... we’ll come to a great agreement that’s in the best interest of both countries,” he said of US–UK trade talks, noting President Donald Trump’s admiration for the British monarchy.

Still, Vance reiterated that Europe must shed its reliance on the United States — both economically and militarily. “I don’t want the Europeans to just do whatever the Americans tell them to do. I don’t think it’s in their interest, and I don’t think it’s in our interests, either.”

His remarks come at a time of heightened transatlantic tensions, with Trump recently imposing tariffs that rattled markets and raised fears of a trade war. Meanwhile, European leaders remain divided over how to engage with Washington’s evolving foreign policy under Trump and Vance.