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Former Vice President Mike Pence said on Sunday that President Donald Trump needs to defeat the “hammer” of Russian President Vladimir Putin with additional secondary sanctions.
After meeting with Putin at the Alaska High Stakes Summit, Trump moved from advocating for an immediate ceasefire contract to a broader “peace agreement” between Ukraine and Russia.
Appearing in CNN’s “The State of the Union” on Sunday, Pence described Trump’s style when treating the dictator as a “velvet gloves” approach, but said “the hammer needs to come, and it needs to come soon.”
Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky is expected to meet with Trump in his oval office on Monday, when British and European leaders joined. Pence said Trump should simultaneously pick up the phone and ask “Senator John Tune, Rs.D.”
Putin appears visibly irritated as reporters question him and Trump and beat him
Former Vice President Mike Pence will attend the inauguration of Donald J. Trump at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC on January 20, 2025 (Julia Demarie Nikinson – Pool/Getty Images)
“It also makes clear to Putin that it is ready to act literally break the economy while doubling Ukraine’s commitment to safety,” Pence said.
“The last thing we want to see is that Putin will use this latest delay as a reason why winters are a hit and the combat season essentially passes in that part of the world,” he added. “Vladimir cannot run out of war watches this year and this season. He has to literally do both. It should be that sanctions should be on the president’s desk and be used to sign him while negotiations begin.
Pence, who served as Trump’s vice president in his first term, repeatedly said that Putin attacked Georgia under President George W. Bush, attacked Crimea under President Barack Obama, and invaded Ukraine after “that disastrous withdrawal” from Afghanistan under President Joe Biden.
“Putin didn’t keep a secret from the fact that we wanted to reassert the territory of old Soviet influence that we called the evil empire of Eastern Europe,” Pence told CNN’s Jake Tupper. “I think Putin only understands strength, so the president and his diplomatic team are engaged in reapplying with Putin, but in my opinion, Putin seems interested in not stopping until he stops.”
Pence said Trump should be praised for pursuing peace in Ukraine, noting that the president has already secured peace agreements in Africa, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“I think he deserves his trust as a leader in the free world, not giving up on Ukraine,” Pence said.
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at a joint press conference at the joint base in Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska on Friday, August 15th, 2025 (AP Photo/Je C. Hong)
Democrats doubt Trump will secure a ceasefire in Ukraine at Putin and the Alaska Summit
Pence said he wanted to praise the president for “looking forward to making progress,” but he said he wanted to see the ceasefire contract. Still, he said, “There’s no better deal than a bad deal.”
Based on the speech by US envoy Steve Witkoff, Pence said, “At least the rise in Putin and Trump’s meeting to the US provides security assurances.
Witkoff told CNN the Trump administration is “intent to thwart a peace agreement that ends the battle much faster, faster and more permanently than a ceasefire.” He also said Trump could not agree to “all kinds of land exchanges” on behalf of the Ukrainians. At the summit, Putin pushed Ukrainians to withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for Russian forces to freeze fronts in other regions.
“At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that the bad guy here is Putin. Putin launched a brutal invasion that has not been provoked over three years ago,” Pence said. “More than ever, America and our allies need to stand strong in Ukraine and create conditions of just and lasting peace.”
President Donald Trump will greet Russian President Vladimir Putin, who will arrive at Elmendorf Richardson’s joint base in Anchorage, Alaska on August 15, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Minutes before Pence spoke to CNN on Sunday morning, Trump wrote to The Truth Society, saying, “Great Russian progress. Stay tuned!”
Trump also criticized media reports about his meeting with Putin.
“The way fake news can vigorously distort the truth about me is incredible,” Trump wrote on social media Sunday. “There’s nothing I can say or do. I’m going to write and report honestly about me to them. I had a great meeting in Alaska about Biden’s stupid war.
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“If I gave up Moscow as part of my contract with Russia, then the fake news and their partner, the radical left Democrats, would say I made a terrible mistake and a very bad deal,” Trump added. “That’s why they’re fake news! They should also talk about six wars and more.
Daniel Wallace is a news and political reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and to X:@danimwallace.
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