U.S. Vice President JD Vance's office says he met the leader of a German far-right party during a trip to Germany on a day he gave a speech castigating European leaders.

Weidel's Alternative for Germany party has been highly scrutinized by the German intelligence service for its ties to extremists.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance met on Friday with Alice Weidel, the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, while on a visit to Germany, an official in Vance's office said, according to a pool report.

US vice-president JD Vance met far-right Alternative for Germany leader Alice Weidel while in Munich, said an official in his office. Earlier she hailed Vance’s speech at the conference, where he warned of Europe’s “threat from within” and alleged infringements of democracy.

US Vice President JD Vance met the co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Alice Weidel on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, her spokesman confirmed to dpa. The anti-immigrant and eurosceptic party has been excluded from the high-profile gathering of world leaders and foreign policy experts under way in Munich.

Vance met with Alice Weidel, the co-leader and candidate for chancellor of the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party, his office said. Mainstream German parties say they won’t work with the party,