This contrasts with former President Donald Trump who described Putin as “smart and savvy” in an interview last Wednesday.
According to CBS News excerpts, Pence said that “There is no place in this party to apologists Putin.” “There are only champions for freedom.”
Some members of Trump’s own party have criticized him for these comments. But, in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference last Saturday, Trump praised Putin and criticized U.S. leadership, even though Putin’s invasion had already begun.
Trump stated to the crowd, “The problem with Putin is not that he is smart, which ofcourse he is, but the real issue is that our leaders don’t know how to solve it.”
Trump will address the retreat’s donors on Saturday night.
Pence’s remarks include a significant amount of comments that focus on Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. He claims he was “deeply inspired” to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Ziensky and criticizes President Biden’s foreign policies decisions, such as the chaotic withdrawal of Afghanistan.
Pence will also be defending NATO’s expansion as not being responsible for Russia’s invasion. Trump was a frequent critic of NATO during his time in office. Last week, at CPAC, he criticized NATO leaders for not being smart enough to handle the events leading up to Russia’s invasion.
“Where would our Eastern Europe friends be today if NATO wasn’t there?” These are Pence’s prepared remarks. “Where would Russian tanks be if NATO hadn’t expanded the borders to freedom?”
Pence will encourage Republicans to focus on the future and not the 2020 election if they want to win the next midterm elections. This vision is a departure from Trump’s. He still talks about Trump’s 2020 loss and continues to falsely claim that the election was rigged.
Pence will likely say that “We cannot win by fighting yesterday’s battles or by relitigating past,” “Elections are about future. “Republicans can only win together if they share an optimistic vision of the future that is based on their highest values, my fellow Republicans.
Pence is trying to resolve his differences with Trump around a week after Trump told CPAC attendees at a private reception that they would be happy. This was in response to a question regarding a run for 2024. Trump told the crowd that he knows who they don’t want to be their V.P.
Pence has criticised his former boss before. He said last month that “Trump is wrong” because he claimed Pence had the right to reverse the election. Pence stated last June that he didn’t know if Trump and he would ever ” see eye-to–eye” regarding the attack on the Capitol on January 6.
Pence is still plotting his future. The former vice president will soon reveal what he calls a freedom agenda that he created with almost 50 conservatives.
Pence will likely say that “our goal is to help unify conservatives around an agenda which is optimistic, forward looking and thoroughly conservative and can save the country from radical left.”
Pence will claim that Mr. Biden was singing from the Republican hymnal during the State of Union address this Wednesday. He will focus on the secure border, funding police, maintaining schools open, and buying American. He will still criticize President Obama’s comments on immigration reform, transgender children, and raising taxes for corporations and wealthy Americans.
He is expected to also criticize President Obama over the Ukraine crisis. He said that he had “squandered” the deterrence our administration established to prevent Putin and Russian attempts to redraw international borders by force. He claims that the Biden administration should continue to sanction Russia, and even sanction all Russian oil exports around the world.
Pence, like other Republicans, paints a positive vision of 2022. He stresses that midterms offer a rare chance to win large shares of seats. Pence claims that the “smart (Democrats), are heading for the hills,” citing more than 30 House incumbents retiring at the end.
Pence will likely say, “Let’s not forget the opportunity ahead of us.” “We are seeing a tsunami of Republican victory that is unprecedented since 2010 or since the Republican Revolution in 1994. This is a rare opportunity.
