Former Vice President Mike Pence has called on President Donald Trump to “rescind” an agreement to lift sanctions on Russian diesel fuel, urging the president to stand up to “Russian aggression” as Pence believes was done during the previous administration.
Pence stated in a social media post on Saturday that for national security and the security of European allies, including Ukraine, Trump should immediately reverse the deal. He advocated for a return to strong policies that imposed harsh sanctions on nations purchasing Russian energy and ensured Ukraine received necessary military support.
Trump has faced criticism, including from some Republicans, after announcing Friday that Russia would supply significant amounts of diesel fuel to the global market. The Treasury Department confirmed it had issued a temporary general license for Russia to supply diesel fuel to the global market.
Pence described the deal as making no sense given Russia's ongoing attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine. He suggested the agreement was a betrayal of the legacy of the late Senator Lindsey Graham. Pence asserted that Putin does not desire peace but aims to conquer Ukraine, and predicted that if Russia overruns Ukraine, its military would eventually confront U.S. troops.
The agreement was announced as rising fuel prices, partly attributed to the conflict in Iran, have impacted Trump's popularity. However, Trump has blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for high U.S. diesel prices, suggesting Zelenskyy has not done enough to end the war.
Trump told reporters on Saturday, “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal because he could have made many deals and for some reason he never does.”
Pence concluded by stating, “America should not be throwing a lifeline to Putin’s war machine. Now is the time to stand strong against Russian aggression as we did during the first Trump administration.”