Former Vice President Mike Pence urged President Donald Trump to immediately reverse what he described as a deal lifting sanctions on Russian fuel, saying it would help sustain Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
In a post on X, Pence said the decision “makes no sense” while Russian President Vladimir Putin continues what Pence called brutal attacks on civilian targets. Innocent Ukrainians are dying every day as their country fights for survival, he wrote.
Pence called the decision a betrayal of the legacy and leadership of Lindsey Graham, whom he described as the late senator. He cited Graham’s efforts to secure tougher sanctions against Russia.
According to Pence, Trump has announced that the United States is lifting sanctions on Russian energy instead of implementing those tougher measures.
“America should not be throwing a lifeline to Putin’s war machine,” he wrote.
Pence called for harsh sanctions on any nation purchasing Russian energy. He also urged Trump to work with allies to ensure Ukraine receives the military support it needs to repel and defeat the invasion.
Describing a visit to Ukraine last month, Pence said he saw firsthand that Putin was losing the war. He argued that Ukraine had fought Russia’s military to a standstill and reinvented warfare with drones carrying the fight into Russia. Those claims reflect Pence’s assessment of the battlefield.
“Putin doesn’t want peace. Putin wants Ukraine,” he wrote.
Pence warned that if Russia overruns Ukraine, it would only be a matter of time before its military crossed a border where American troops would have to confront it. He tied his appeal to U.S. national security and the security of European allies, including Ukraine.
He urged Trump to rescind the deal immediately and return to what he called the strong policies of their four years in the White House.
Pence’s statement did not identify the sanctions being lifted, describe the deal’s terms or specify when the relief would take effect.
