US Vice President J.D. Vance reiterated US calls for NATO to increase defence spending as he attended the Munich Security Conference yesterday, at a time of great anxiety and uncertainty over the foreign policy of President Donald Trump’s administration.

Vance said Europe must take more responsibility for its own security as he met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the start of the 61st edition of the international conference. He added that he and President Donald Trump “firmly believe that Europe is, of course, a very important ally of the United States,” adding that it was important to recognise that “Europe has to play a greater role in its own security in the future.