Former Vice President Mike Pence Thursday jetted into Ukraine to back the embattled nation’s fight to repel the Russian invasion amid deep divisions over the war within the Republican presidential field.
After meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Pence called the trip an emotional journey to show firm unity against the “unconscionable and unprovoked Russian invasion.”
“I believe America’s the leader of the free world,” the Republican presidential candidate said. “Coming here ... just steels my resolve to do my part, to continue to call for strong American support for our Ukrainian friends and allies.”
Pence visited three Ukrainian towns that were ravaged by Russian occupation, including Irpin and Bucha, which was the site of mass killings early in the invasion.
“I can really see firsthand the heroism of the Ukrainian soldiers holding the line in those woods, see the heroism of the people here in Irpin that held back the Russian army, to see families whose homes were literally shelled,” Pence said.
Pence previously visited the Poland-Ukraine border in March 2022 to spotlight efforts to support Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war.
The visit came against the backdrop of deep divisions among Republican candidates and their right-wing base over supporting Ukraine in its battle against naked Russian aggression.
Former President Donald Trump, the dominant leader of the race, has repeatedly praised Russian strongman Vladimir Putin and has questioned the need to support Ukraine.
His closest competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the invasion a “territorial dispute,” although he later sought to walk back the gaffe.
Pence is battling for third place with several other candidates, most of whom say they don’t support Putin but believe the billions in aid to Ukraine could be better spent on domestic priorities.
Pence, an old-school conservative and geopolitical hawk, says Americans must understand that failing to stop Russian aggression in its tracks would be far more costly in the long term for the West.
“It’s important that the American people understand the progress that we’ve made and how support for the Ukrainian military has been in our national interest,” Pence said.
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