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Former Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday urged President Donald Trump to impose immediate secondary sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying Putin “only understands strength” following their summit in Alaska.
During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Pence described Trump’s approach as the “velvet glove,” but stressed that “the hammer needs to come, and it needs to come immediately.” He called on Trump to “pick up the phone and ask” Senate Majority Leader John Thune to quickly pass a secondary sanctions bill, noting it had near-unanimous Senate support.
Pence argued that sanctions should be ready for Trump’s signature even as negotiations begin, warning that “the last thing we want to see is for Putin to use this latest delay as a reason to continue this war all the way until the winter hits… We can’t allow Vladimir to run out the clock on the war in this year and this season.”
He pointed to Putin’s history of aggression under past administrations—Georgia under George W. Bush, Crimea under Barack Obama, and Ukraine after what Pence called Joe Biden’s “disastrous withdrawal” from Afghanistan. “I think Putin only understands strength,” Pence said. “While the president and his diplomatic team engage in this re-approach with Putin… Putin is not going to stop until he’s stopped.”
At the same time, Pence praised Trump for “pursuing peace in Ukraine” and noted his success in brokering agreements in Africa, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. “I think he deserves credit as leader of the free world for not giving up on Ukraine,” he said.
Still, Pence said he would have preferred a ceasefire deal, though he acknowledged that “no deal is better than a bad deal.” U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that Trump did not concede any national security interests and insisted there would be no “land swap” concessions on behalf of Ukraine, even as Putin pressed for Ukrainian withdrawal from Donetsk and Luhansk.
“At the end of the day, it’s important to remember the bad guy here is Putin,” Pence said. “Now more than ever, America and our allies need to stand strongly with Ukraine and create the conditions for a just and lasting peace.”
Just before Pence’s interview, Trump posted on Truth Social: “BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED!” He later blasted the media, writing: “It’s incredible how the Fake News violently distorts the TRUTH when it comes to me… I had a great meeting in Alaska on Biden’s stupid War, a war that should have never happened!!!”
Trump added, “If I got Russia to give up Moscow as part of the Deal, the Fake News, and their PARTNER, the Radical Left Democrats, would say I made a terrible mistake and a very bad deal. That’s why they are the FAKE NEWS! Also, they should talk about the 6 WARS, etc., I JUST STOPPED!!! MAGA.”
