Pence breaks with DeSantis over Ukraine position: Putin will not stop at Ukraine

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday warned that it would be “wrong” to think Russian President Vladimir Putin would stop at trying to take control of Ukraine, a direct break with comments made by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

Pence delivered an address at the University of Texas at Austin in which he argued for the importance of U.S. support for Ukraine on the first anniversary of the war, cautioning that Russian victory in Ukraine could draw the U.S. into a broader conflict and threaten the sovereignty of NATO allies.

In an interview with NBC News after the speech, Pence was asked about DeSantis’s views: Earlier this week, the Florida governor expressed opposition to open-ended support for Ukraine while casting doubt on the prospect that Russia would seek to invade other countries.

“The fear of Russia going into NATO countries and all that and steamrolling, you know, that has not even come close to happening,” DeSantis said on Fox News.

“I would say anyone that thinks that Vladimir Putin will stop at Ukraine is wrong,” Pence told NBC News, referring to DeSantis’s earlier remarks.

“We need to understand the real long-term threat of renewed Russian aggression in Europe,” he continued. “And I hold the view that it will not stop there.”

Pence in Friday’s speech said Putin bore responsibility for the war, and he cautioned that there can be “no room in the leadership of the Republican Party for apologists for Putin.”

“Make no mistake: This is not America’s war. But if we falter in our commitment to providing the support to help people of Ukraine to defend their freedom, our sons and daughters may soon be called upon to defend ours,” Pence said. “If we surrender to the siren song of those in this country who argue that America has no interest in freedom’s cause, history teaches we may soon send our own into harm’s way.”

The former Indiana governor’s speech — meant to showcase his foreign policy credentials — comes as he is mulling a possible 2024 presidential bid, with a decision expected in the coming weeks. He has frequently visited early voting states like Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire.

Trump and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley have already announced their candidacies, with other GOP officials such as DeSantis, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) expected to make decisions about whether to run in the coming months.

5 comments

DeSantis has revealed himself to be a malignant small time hack politician masquerading as a statesman.
Pence has showed he has integrity.
Pompeo has written a book; often a precursor to a presidential run.
However, Pompeo’s integrity has to be examined carefully. He is pro-Ukraine, but actually appeared on the Michael Savage show to promote his book, addressing Savage; a hideous liar and putler apologist, as “sir.” Puke!
He obviously knows Savage because of Savage’s friendship with Trump. They would have met at Mar-A-Lago.
Who the fuck would want to be in the same room as a bastard like Savage?

“No room in the leadership of the Republican Party for apologists for Putin.” -Awesome Pence!

Pence is not a man to be trusted.

I’m disappointed in DeSantis. It seems that he is one of those persons I was talking about in a previous article. I certainly do not want a president who even thinks about not fully supporting Ukraine in its epic fight and to give a huge, evil crime syndicate a breath of a chance to come out of this without suffering the deserved consequences.
We are at a crossroads in our foreign policy. Either we help Ukraine win this war as decisively as possible and strengthen our own position in this world, which is endangered by mafia land, China, Iran, et al, or we go down in a whimper and leave the world stage to the trash countries mentioned above, and suffer the VERY expensive aftermath of our inaction. It’s that simple.
I hope that the majority of voters see it the same way.