U.S. Vice President compares current European leaders to Cold War-era autocrats

At the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Vice President Jay D. Vance made a bold statement by likening current European leaders to the authoritarian regimes that ruled during the Cold War, reports NewsBox.

"When we see European courts overturning elections and high-ranking officials threatening to annul others, we must ask ourselves if we are upholding sufficiently high standards," Vance declared.

In his speech, Vance drew parallels between contemporary restrictions on freedom of speech and the repressive regimes of the 20th century. He recalled the Cold War era when "defenders of democracy" stood against "tyrannical forces" on the European continent, writes CNN.

"Many of you present in this hall remember how the Cold War pitted the protectors of democracy against far more tyrannical forces on this continent," the vice president noted.

He emphasized that the side "which censored dissidents, closed churches, and nullified elections" could not be "the good guys" and inevitably lost the Cold War because it did not value "the extraordinary benefits of freedom."

"You cannot compel people to think something, feel something, or believe in something... Sadly, when I observe Europe today, it is sometimes unclear what has happened to some of the Cold War's victors," Vance concluded.

The vice president's statement provoked widespread resonance and is likely to become a subject of active discussion in political circles.