In a surprising turn of events, former Vice President Mike Pence has joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in expressing doubt over former President Donald Trump’s claim that he could swiftly end the war between Ukraine and Russia if he were still in power.
During an interview with Fox News’ Bill Hemmer, Pence discussed the Biden administration’s plan to provide cluster bombs to Ukraine to support their ongoing counteroffensive against Russia’s invasion. When asked about his perspective on how the war would conclude, Pence responded, “I think it ends by giving the Ukrainians what they need to win.”
Pence then went on to mention Trump’s repeated assertion that he could resolve the conflict within 24 hours as president, stating, “My former running mate likes to talk about solving it in a day. The only way you would solve this war in a day is if you gave Vladimir Putin what he wanted.”
Expressing concern about the escalating tensions, Pence highlighted the upcoming NATO meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, and warned that if Russia were to overrun Ukraine and wear down the United States and its allies, there could be further aggression against countries like Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, and the Baltic region. He emphasized the importance of providing Ukraine with the necessary support to halt Russian advances and protect these nations under the NATO treaty.
Throughout the war, Trump has consistently praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, hesitated to commit to supporting Ukraine, and even predicted that Russia would eventually conquer Ukraine. Pence’s remarks align with those of President Zelenskyy, who recently expressed doubt about Trump’s ability to resolve the conflict.
Hemmer then posed a question to Pence about how he would address Trump on this matter in a debate setting. Pence chose not to directly challenge Trump, instead emphasizing the strength of the United States during his own tenure. He highlighted the military’s effectiveness in Syria, where US forces took down ISIS and engaged in a confrontation that resulted in the elimination of over 100 Russian soldiers. Pence stressed that the key to success lies in swiftly providing the Ukrainian military with the necessary resources to repel the Russian invasion, a step he believes should have been taken more promptly by President Biden.
My former running mate likes to talk about solving it in a day. The only way you would solve this war in a day is if you gave Vladimir Putin what he wanted.
I gotta tell you, they’re all meeting in Vilnius in Lithuania this week for NATO. If I really believe — and I’ve met Vladimir Putin and looked him right in the eye — I would tell you, if Vladimir Putin overruns Ukraine, if he simply wears down the United States and the West, I have no doubt in my mind that he’s gonna cross the border. Maybe Lithuania itself, or Estonia, or Latvia, or the countries in the Baltics, and those will be countries where we would have to send our armed forces to go and fight under our NATO treaty. I think it’s in the interest of our country to give them what they need, to stop them there, repel them there.
Look, the reason why Russia did not even attempt to redraw international lines by force during our administration is because we were strong. We made it clear that we not only had rebuilt our military, but [we] were willing to use military force in Syria, our armed forces taking down ISIS, and frankly we took down over 100 Russian soldiers in a military engagement in Syria itself. So look, I understand President Zelenskyy’s frustration, the Russian’s war in Crimea. They had taken that area during the Obama years. But look, there is only one pathway towards success here, and that is to give the Ukrainian military — much more quickly than Joe Biden has done — what they need to repel the Russian invasion.
