Former US Vice President Mike Pence told Newsmax on Sunday that, after visiting Ukraine and speaking with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his military leaders, he has come away "more determined than ever" that full military support for Ukraine is the right course for America.
"Think about it, Tom," Pence told Newsmax host Tom Basile. "In a year and a half, Russia has gone from the second most powerful military in the world to the second most powerful military in Ukraine."
"It's real progress and it's because America has been there, even though the Biden administration has been too slow,” added Pence.
"They've been there from go, we just got to give them what they need to finish the job and I believe they will."
Pence, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, made clear he wants to make Russia and President Joe Biden his campaign adversaries and not former President Donald Trump.
"I'm running for president of the United States; I'm not running against anybody," Pence said, adding, "I think this country is in a lot of trouble, Tom. President Joe Biden has weakened this country at home and abroad."
Pence urged Americans to back support for Ukraine, blasted Biden for "slow-walking" aid and "emboldening" the Russian invasion.
Pence warned that Biden's election in 2020 proved to have dire consequences in Ukraine, saying Biden reversed the Trump-Pence military aid to Ukraine, including "javelin missiles to turn those tanks back" on the outskirts of the capital of Kyiv last year.
"I left more determined than ever to be a voice for strong military support and to help explain to the American people that we're not there for the reasons Joe Biden says: Some gauzy about democracy in the world," he told Newsmax, adding, "We're there because it's in the interest of the Unites States of America to support Ukraine when they repel the Russia invasion.
"Also, I really believe, it will send a deafening message to China that America is going to lead the free world and provide support to anyone that would be subject to attempts to use military force to redraw international lines. "It's in our national interest. Ukraine is fighting hard – they're making progress."
The comments come days after Trump told the Reuters news agency in an interview that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been "somewhat weakened" by an aborted mutiny and that now is the time for the United States to try to broker a negotiated peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine.
"I want people to stop dying over this ridiculous war," Trump said in the interview.
Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine got underway, Trump described Putin's actions in Ukraine as "genius" and "pretty savvy."
After coming under fire for the remarks, Trump clarified his comments at CPAC 2022 and said, "The Russian attack on Ukraine is appalling. We are praying for the proud people of Ukraine. God bless them all."
Trump did say he thinks that Putin is “smart” but also that American and NATO leaders are dumb. He opined that President Joe Biden’s weakness and the failures in the Afghanistan withdrawal are what prompted Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine.
“Nobody could ever believe how bad and weak and grossly incompetent he has been. And when you have a weak president who is not respected by other nations, you have a very chaotic world,” said Trump. “And the world hasn’t been this chaotic since World War II.”