Vice President J.D. Vance scolded European leaders on Friday for failing to address unchecked migration or uphold free speech principles and democratic values.

The speech stunned leaders assembled at the Munich Security Conference in Germany who expected the American No. 2 to detail an approach to the war in Ukraine.

The vice president said Europe needs to “step up” when it comes to defending its territory against outside forces.

He added, “What I worry about is the threat from within, the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.”

Mr. Vance accused European leaders of pursuing censorship and failing to check out-of-control migration, pointing to a migrant’s car attack on a Munich crowd Thursday.

“How many times must we suffer these appalling setbacks before we change course and take our civilization in a different direction?” Mr. Vance said.

On speech and democracy, he took Romania to task for canceling a presidential election over evidence of Russian interference online.

“If your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn’t very strong to begin with,” he said. “I’d ask my European friends to have some perspective.”

Mr. Vance also accused European countries of shunning parties from the political right, which some interpreted as a swipe at German politicians for eschewing the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party.

“If you are running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you,’’ he said. “Shutting people out of the political process protects nothing.”

Mr. Vance was expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later Friday to discuss ways to end the war that started in February 2022.

Some European leaders were unnerved by President Trump’s engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, fearing it would sideline Kyiv.

• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.