Trump's vice president meets with leader of far-right German party.
The meeting took place after JD Vance declared his support for the party as a political partner, something Berlin described as unwanted electoral interference.
Reuters - US Vice President JD Vance met with Alice Weidel, leader of Germany's far-right AfD party, on Friday, his office said, after declaring his support for the party as a political partner, a move Berlin called unwanted electoral interference.
An official from Vance's office did not provide further details about the meeting, but stated that he met with leaders from all major German political parties.
A spokesperson for the AfD leader confirmed the meeting, saying they met at Vance's hotel for about 30 minutes and discussed the war in Ukraine, German domestic politics, and freedom of expression.
The AfD, which opposes immigration and currently holds around 20% of the vote in polls ahead of the general elections on February 23, has pariah status among the other major German parties, a country where the far-right is taboo due to its Nazi past.
In a move described as a "firewall," the parties reached a consensus not to work with the AfD, which is currently being monitored by the German intelligence service.
In apparent reference to the word, Vance stated: “Democracy rests on the sacred principle that the voice of the people matters. There is no room for firewalls.”
"No voter on this continent went to the polls to open the floodgates to millions of uncontrolled immigrants," Vance stated on Friday during the Munich Security Conference.
In an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio, to be broadcast on Sunday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized Vance's comments, saying they were highly unusual. He recalled that Germany had a "firewall" against far-right parties for good reason, citing Germany's past under Nazism.
The German Defense Minister on Friday rebutted Vance's criticism of Germany and European powers, calling it unacceptable.
"This democracy has just been questioned by the US vice-president, not just German democracy, but that of Europe as a whole," said Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Friday during a conference in Munich. "If I understand him correctly, he is comparing the situation in Europe to what is happening in some authoritarian regimes. This is unacceptable."
Conservative leader Friedrich Merz, who polls predict will become the next German chancellor, was accused by his rivals last month of breaking the "firewall" agreement and initiating parliamentary motions that anticipated the support of the AfD. But he also denied the possibility of forming a government with the far-right party.
Earlier on Friday, a German government spokesperson stated that Vance should not interfere in the German election. "I don't think it's right for foreigners, including those from friendly countries, to interfere so intensely in a campaign in the middle of the election period," the spokesperson said at a press conference.
Billionaire Elon Musk, the biggest donor to US President Donald Trump's campaign and now head of a task force to cut US government spending, has publicly supported the AfD.
