Former vice-president Mike Pence on Sunday called on President Donald Trump to bring the “hammer down” on Russian President Vladimir Putin and impose additional sanctions on Russia.Pence praised Trump for pursuing peace in Ukraine after his Alaska summit with Putin on Friday but urged him to intensify pressure to secure a peace deal. “I served alongside the president for four years. I know his style in dealing with these dictators. It’s the velvet glove, but I think the hammer needs to come, and it needs to come immediately,” Pence said. “[Trump] ought to pick up the phone and ask Majority Leader John Thune to immediately pass the secondary sanctions bill that is supported by virtually everyone in the United States Senate,” he added.Pence emphasized that the Russian president is “the bad guy” and he should be treated as such during negotiations, as reported by news agency CNN. Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal have championed a sanctions bill against Russia with over 80 senators backing it. Trump dismissed the bill as unnecessary and instead issued an ultimatum to Putin, demanding that the Russian leader take steps toward peace by August 8 or face strict secondary sanctions and tariffs.Following a Kremlin meeting with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, the president opted to hold a direct summit rather than impose immediate sanctions.Pence warned that Putin might be trying to “run out the clock” to postpone sanctions that could severely impact Russia’s economy. He was not surprised that the historic meeting failed to produce a ceasefire agreement.“There was an agreement by President Zelensky to a cease-fire back in February. Putin refused it. He’s managed to delay the game,” the ex-VP said. “All the while, his military has continued its brutal assault on civilian populations in Ukraine.”Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the Trump administration against criticism of delaying sanctions, saying that acting too quickly could undermine ongoing peace negotiations.Trump is scheduled to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Monday, with several European leaders joining the Ukrainian president’s visit. Pence expressed hope that the meeting would be productive and foster unity among Western leaders.“I’m also going to be praying that it’s a productive time and a unifying time among all the leaders in the West and the president and President Zelenskyy,” Pence said.
