Former Vice President and failed presidential candidate Mike Pence on Sunday went on the attack against his former boss, accusing President Trump of being too soft on Russia in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine and calling on him to bring the “hammer” down.
“I know his style in dealing with these dictators. It’s the velvet glove,” Pence said in a rebuke of the President’s cool and collected dealmaking style. “I think the hammer needs to come, and it needs to come immediately.”
Pence made the comments on CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper.
This comes the day before President Trump plans to host a summit at the White House with European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, to potentially broker an end to the war in Ukraine. Previously, on Friday, Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where the two came to an agreement to secure peace, pending Ukraine and NATO cooperation.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, Trump announced early on Saturday that he spoke with Zelensky, European leaders, and the NATO Secretary General. The President said on Saturday that he will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Monday.
Zelensky will be joined at the White House by several European leaders, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
President Trump is also teasing the possibility of a trilateral meeting with himself, Zelensky, and Putin as soon as Friday.
Pence told Jake Tapper that the President “ought to pick up the phone and ask Majority Leader John Thune to to immediately pass the secondary sanctions bill” while he meets with the leaders on Monday. “Putin only understands strength. So, while the President and his diplomatic team engage in this re-approach with Putin, and there seems to be interest, in my judgment, Putin’s not going to stop until he stopped,” Pence said.
However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday morning outlined the Trump Administration’s stance that secondary sanctions could serve as a signal from the United States of “walking away from any prospect of a negotiated settlement here.”
WATCH:
Pence: You know, I served alongside the president for four years. I know his style in dealing with these dictators. It’s the velvet glove, but I think the hammer needs to come, and it needs to come immediately. I think the President, as he welcomes President Zelensky to the Oval Office tomorrow and a whole cast of our allies in Europe that are going to be joining him, I think at the same time, he ought to pick up the phone and ask Majority Leader John Thune to to immediately pass the secondary sanctions bill that is supported by virtually everyone in the United States Senate.
I think, the combination of engagement, but also making it clear to Putin that we are prepared to take actions that would literally break his economy, even while we redouble our commitment to the security of Ukraine and to working closely with our European allies is important. Look, I said it before. I’ll say it again: In the long history of the last 25 years, Putin has made it clear, he launched an attack into Georgia when President Bush was in office. He attacked Crimea in Ukraine when Obama was in office.
After that disastrous withdrawal in Afghanistan, he crossed the border and started this war three years ago. Putin has made it no secret of the fact that he wants to reassert the old Soviet sphere of influence, what we used to call the evil empire in Eastern Europe, and I think Putin only understands strength. So, while the President and his diplomatic team engage in this re-approach with Putin, and there seems to be interest, in my judgment, Putin’s not going to stop until he stopped.
