Former Vice President Mike Pence Discusses Trump-Putin Summit In Alaska, Ongoing Peace Talks

Forbes Breaking News

During an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, former Vice President Mike Pence discussed President Donald Trump's peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Transcript

00:00Well, first, I think the president should be commended for pursuing peace in Ukraine.

00:08This president has already secured peace agreements in Africa, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

00:13I think he deserves credit as leader of the free world for not giving up on Ukraine,

00:18particularly, Jake, since there are many voices in and around the administration

00:23that would have cut Ukraine loose months ago.

00:26So I want to commend the president for trying to make progress.

00:33I must tell you, I would have liked to have seen a ceasefire,

00:38but the truth is that no deal is better than a bad deal.

00:44And what we heard Ambassador Wyckoff describe as encouraging,

00:49that there was at least an assent in Putin's and Trump's meeting

00:55to the United States providing security guarantees.

00:59And clearly, the president didn't forfeit anything having to do with America's national security

01:05or with the security of our allies in Eastern Europe in the midst of this war.

01:10But, you know, at the end of the day, it's important to remember the bad guy here is Putin.

01:14Putin launched an unprovoked, brutal invasion more than three years ago.

01:20I've traveled to Ukraine twice.

01:22I've literally walked the streets, seen the aftermath of that brutal invasion.

01:27And now, more than ever, America and our allies need to stand strongly with Ukraine

01:34and create the conditions for a just and lasting peace.

01:38You said last month that you thought President Trump was beginning to realize,

01:42quote, Vladimir Putin doesn't want peace.

01:45Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine, unquote.

01:48As you noted, there was no ceasefire agreed to.

01:52President Trump seemed to indicate before the summit that that was, that had to happen,

01:57or he said there would be very severe consequences.

02:00Since the summit, he's dropped demands for an immediate ceasefire.

02:05Five Ukrainians were killed overnight.

02:08He's telling people, you heard Witkoff say, a peace deal, a larger peace deal can be reached quickly

02:14if Putin's demands, which include Ukraine ceding control of the entire Donbass region to Russia,

02:20are met.

02:21What do you make of all that?

02:22I mean, there are observers out there, people who like Trump, people who are rooting for Trump,

02:28who think that Trump got played.

02:32Well, look, I've, you know, I served alongside the president for four years.

02:36I know his style in dealing with these dictators.

02:40It's the velvet glove.

02:42But I think the hammer needs to come, and it needs to come immediately.

02:46I think the president, as he welcomes President Zelensky to the Oval Office tomorrow,

02:52and a whole cast of our allies in Europe that are going to be joining him,

02:56I think at the same time, he ought to pick up the phone

02:58and ask Majority Leader John Thune to immediately pass the secondary sanctions bill

03:07that is supported by virtually everyone in the United States Senate.

03:11I think the combination of engagement, but also making it clear to Putin

03:17that we are prepared to take actions that would literally break his economy,

03:23even while we redouble our commitment to the security of Ukraine

03:28and to working closely with our European allies is important.

03:32Look, I said it before, I'll say it again.

03:35In the long history of the last 25 years, Putin has made it clear.

03:41He launched an attack into Georgia when President Bush was in office.

03:44He attacked Crimea and Ukraine when Obama was in office.

03:49After that disastrous withdrawal in Afghanistan,

03:52he crossed the border and started this war three years ago.

03:55Putin's made it no secret of the fact

03:57that he wants to reassert the old Soviet sphere of influence,

04:02what we used to call the evil empire in Eastern Europe.

04:06And I think Putin only understands strength.

04:09So while the president and his diplomatic team

04:11engage in this re-approach with Putin,

04:16and there seems to be interest,

04:18in my judgment, Putin's not going to stop until he's stopped,

04:22until he understands that there's going to be enormous cost to Russia,

04:27and there's an unflagging commitment

04:29to defending Ukraine's sovereignty by the United States and our allies.

04:34Is there any way?

04:36I mean, can you explain, or do you understand at all

04:39how the summit could end without a ceasefire agreed to,

04:44and that would be acceptable?

04:46I mean, there are five Ukrainians who are now dead.

04:48I'm not blaming it on President Trump.

04:50It's obviously President Putin's fault.

04:51But if the ceasefire had happened on Friday,

04:56those five Ukrainians would be alive.

04:59Well, I just, your question in the last segment was relevant.

05:06There's a way that Putin can end the violence immediately,

05:09and that's with a ceasefire, but then move to negotiations.

05:12But look, when it ended and we all watched that press conference

05:17and it was clear there was no ceasefire,

05:19I must tell you that I was not surprised.

05:24I mean, there was an agreement by President Zelensky

05:27to ceasefire back in February.

05:30Putin refused it.

05:31He's managed to delay the game.

05:33All the while, his military has continued its brutal assault

05:38on civilian populations in Ukraine.

05:41I think that's the reason why, look,

05:43let's have the dialogue tomorrow at the White House.

05:47I'm also going to be praying that it's a productive time

05:50and a unifying time among all the leaders in the West

05:54and the president and President Zelensky.

05:57But at the same time, you know, I've always said

06:00the United States posture on the world ought to be,

06:02you know, one hand extended in friendship and diplomacy

06:06and the other hand resting comfortably

06:08on the holster of the arsenal of democracy.

06:11I think Putin is only going to understand

06:16that there are going to be severe consequences,

06:21as the president promised, if there is no progress from here.

06:25The last thing we want to see is for Putin to use this latest delay

06:30as a reason to continue this war all the way until the winter hits

06:35and the fighting season essentially passes in that part of the world.

06:39We can't allow Vladimir Putin to run out the clock on the war

06:43in this year and in this season.

06:46We literally have to do both things,

06:49and that is the sanctions ought to be on the president's desk,

06:53available for his signature, while negotiations begin.

06:56That's the most important way that we will ensure

06:59that there is real progress toward the peace agreement

07:02that the president has said is the ultimate conclusion.

07:05Before you go, sir, here in Washington, D.C.,

07:08President Trump has deployed the National Guard

07:11and other federal troops,

07:13ostensibly in response to emergency of lawlessness

07:16and high crime in D.C.

07:17I am curious what goes through your mind

07:20when you see the president aggressively pushing out

07:23the National Guard when he didn't do so on January 6, 2021,

07:27as the Capitol was under attack,

07:29a mob was trying to lynch you,

07:31and your family was in danger.

07:32Well, January 6 was a tragic day,

07:38but I know we did our duty that day,

07:40and I wish the president would have done more.

07:43But I welcome his decision to deploy the National Guard

07:46and essentially federalize the D.C. Police Department.

07:52I know that it's all now working in a very cooperative way.

07:55Jake, if the District of Columbia was actually a state,

07:59it would have the highest homicide rate in the country.

08:04And this is where our national government

08:06has to be able to operate,

08:08where tens of thousands of people,

08:10you included, work every day.

08:11I think it's important what the president is doing.

08:15I fully support it,

08:17and I think the American people welcome the president

08:20taking decisive action to ensure the streets

08:23of our nation's capital are safe

08:24and also continues to provide resources across the country

08:28to make all of our cities and towns and communities safe.

08:32Former Vice President Mike Pence,

08:33thank you for joining us.

08:35Hope you and your family are thriving.

08:40Thank you so much.

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