Former Vice President of the United States and current candidate for the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries, Mike Pence, made a surprise trip to Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, this Thursday, where he will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The visit, the first by a Republican presidential candidate to the country at war, comes days after the Wagner Group mercenaries led by Yevgeny Prigozhin rebelled against Russian military command over the weekend.
Donald Trump’s former “number two” during his presidential term (2017-2021) stood out for his strong defense of Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion, which contrasted with some influential voices in his party who opposed providing military aid to Kiev.
In addition to meeting Zelensky, Pence plans to visit the cities of Bucha and Irpin, located on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital and the scene of massacres committed by Russian forces during the period they controlled them.
“Seeing families whose homes were literally bombed in the midst of an unprovoked and unbridled Russian invasion only strengthens my determination to do my part and continue to demand strong American support from our Ukrainian friends and allies. Pence said in statements to the government. North American television channel NBC.
In turn, Ukraine’s chief adviser to the presidency, Mikhailo Podoliak, assured that former Vice President Pence “understands absolutely clearly what Russia is.”
“He deeply understands Russia and understands the nature of this conflict,” he stressed.
Pence, who is aiming to be the Republican nominee for the US presidential election in November 2024, shows his future support for Ukraine in case he wins the votes of US citizens with this trip.
Against him, in the Republican Party primary, is Trump himself, who maintained good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his term and guaranteed that he could end the war by the leaders of Russia and Ukraine .
Source: DN
