Pence meets with Zelensky during Ukraine trip
Former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday met with Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky during a visit to the country, a show of support for the European nation under attack from Russia as Republicans vying for their party’s presidential nomination have been divided over America’s role in the ongoing conflict, CNN reports.
Pence met with Zelensky at the presidential palace in Kyiv, telling the Ukrainian leader that the US will continue to stand with Ukraine “until victory is achieved but then justice is also achieved.”
The former vice president made stops at three different cities and villages – Bucha, Irpin and Moschun – outside of Kyiv that had seen heavy destruction from shelling and gruesome violence against civilians under Russian occupation last year. He toured the wreckage, met with locals and laid flowers at memorials for those killed in the war.
“The American people are praying with you, supporting you in Ukraine,” he told families that he met in Irpin.
Pence has been a strong advocate for US support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, arguing that it’s in America’s best interests, and he is the first Republican presidential candidate to visit the nation while the 2024 race is underway. The issue has created a rift among 2024 Republican presidential candidates: former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott have also urged continued US backing for Ukraine, while former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the top polling candidates in the primary field, have questioned US aid.
Pence’s stance on Ukraine puts him more in line with Democratic President Joe Biden, who also made a surprise visit to the nation back in February, demonstrating his commitment to supporting Ukraine.
