Former US Vice President Mike Pence made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Thursday, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the campaign.
Pence told NBC News in an interview from Kiev that the visit to Ukraine “intensifies my resolve to do my part and to continue advocating for strong American support for our Ukrainian friends and allies.”
Pence, the first Republican presidential contender to meet Zelensky during the war.
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Pence has been vocal about his support for Ukraine, and the move sends a resounding message that he believes the United States should play a leading role in Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
The American news network quoted the presidential candidate as saying, “I think America is the leader of the free world … but to come here as a private citizen – to really be able to see the heroism of the Ukrainians here in Irpin holding back the Russian army, to see the families whose homes were literally bombed in the midst of an invasion.” Unreasonable and unwarranted Russia – only strengthen my resolve to do my part, to continue advocating for strong American support for our Ukrainian friends and allies.”
Pence will spend Thursday, according to the source, taking a first-hand look at the suffering of Ukrainians over the past 16 months, visiting Mushon, Bucha and Irbin, three cities devastated during the war, as well as meeting Zelensky.
“CBC” quoted Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Zelensky, as saying that Pence “understands Russia deeply and deeply understands the nature of this conflict, that it is not about territory, it is not about any business, it is not about anything except the main thing (. …) those values upon which the United States was built.”
“It’s about helping a country that is willing to stand up for the core and core values on which the United States was founded,” he added.
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2023-06-29 17:32:19
