Pence Urges Trump to Swap ‘Velvet Glove’ for Tougher Russia Sanctions

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday urged President Donald Trump to abandon what he described as a “velvet glove” posture toward Russian President Vladimir Putin and instead impose sweeping economic penalties aimed at forcing Moscow to accept a cease-fire in Ukraine. In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Pence said his four years alongside Trump showed that Putin "only understands strength" and that “the hammer needs to come immediately.” He cited the deaths of five Ukrainians after last week’s Alaska summit failed to yield a truce as evidence that current diplomacy is insufficient. Pence praised Trump for “not giving up on Ukraine” but pressed him to invite President Volodymyr Zelensky to the Oval Office and to ask Senate Majority Leader John Thune to move a pending Secondary Sanctions Bill that Pence said could “literally break” Russia’s economy. The measure would target banks and third-party entities helping Moscow evade existing restrictions. The remarks represent one of the most pointed public appeals from a senior Republican figure for a tougher U.S. line on Russia, underscoring divisions within the administration as it attempts to negotiate an end to the 18-month-old conflict.