Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has spoken out against the White House's stance on the war in Ukraine, saying its actions have "only emboldened Russia" despite efforts to bring about a ceasefire.
"If the last three years teaches us anything, it’s that (Russian President) Vladimir Putin doesn’t want peace; he wants Ukraine," Pence said in an interview with CNN published on May 5.
"And the fact that we are now nearly two months following a ceasefire agreement that Ukraine has agreed to and Russia continues to delay and give excuses confirms that point," he added.
Ukraine has already agreed to a U.S.-proposed full 30-day ceasefire, saying on March 11 that Kyiv is ready if Russia also agrees to the terms. So far, Moscow has refused.
Trump has reportedly grown frustrated with the slow progression of peace negotiations, claiming on April 26 that Putin may be "tapping me along," and that he may not be interested in ending the war.
While Trump has so far resisted applying any real pressure on the Kremlin, has has been willing to temporarily turn off military aid and stop intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
Criticizing the approach, Pence said Putin "only understands power."
"It’s the reason why, in this moment, we need to make it clear that the United States is going to continue to lead the free world, to provide Ukraine with the military support they need to repel the Russian invasion and achieve a just and lasting peace," he said.
"The wavering support the administration has shown over the last few months, I believe, has only emboldened Russia."
Instead of agreeing to the U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire in March, the Kremlin has instead unilaterally declared its own partial truces.
Putin on April 28 announced a so-called "humanitarian truce" from May 7-9, during Moscow's Victory Day celebrations.
Despite being from what the White House had originally called for, Trump on May 5 hailed it as a significant step towards a peace settlement.
"As you know, President Putin just announced a three-day ceasefire, which doesn't sound like much, but it's a lot, if you know where we started from," Trump told reporters in an Oval Office briefing.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Putin's announcement as a "theatrical performance" rather than a serious move towards peace.
In his interview with CNN, Pence also warned of the long-term consequences of not achieving a just peace in Ukraine.
"This is not just about Ukraine for me. I really do believe that if Vladimir Putin overruns Ukraine, it’s just a matter of time before he crosses a border where our men and women in uniform are going to have to go fight him," he said.
"I hold to that old Reagan doctrine that if you’re willing to fight our enemies on your soil, we’ll give you the means to fight them there so we don’t have to fight them."
Chris York
(Updated: )
