“There is no place for Putin’s apologists in this party. There is only room for freedom fighters,” Pence said. The line drew applause from sponsors who had gathered for the Republican National Committee meeting in New Orleans, the source said. The event was closed to the press.
Pence’s speech came just days after former President Donald Trump called Putin “brilliant” and “savvy” for launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, where civilian casualties continue to pile up despite global condemnation of the Russian leader’s actions.
According to his prepared remarks, which the source said he did not dismiss as of Friday, Pence urged the Biden administration to take tougher action against Russia, including sanctions on the country’s oil exports.
“Putin understands only force. As members of the party that won the Cold War, we must send a resounding message: Putin must stop or Putin must pay,” Pence said.
“We must demand that this administration immediately increase military spending, (arm) Ukraine with deadly weapons to counter Russian armor and aircraft, and President (Joe) Biden must impose sanctions on all Russian oil exports around the world,” Pence said.
During his speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference over the weekend, Trump doubled down on compliments to the Russian president.
“Journalists asked me yesterday if I think President Putin is smart. I said, “Of course he’s smart,” Trump told the crowd in Orlando, Florida.
In another thinly veiled strike at Trump, who remains fixated on false claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election, Pence urged Republicans to stop “rethinking the past,” according to excerpts from his speech.
“We cannot win by fighting yesterday’s battles,” he said. “Forgetting what is behind, and striving for what is ahead, let us strive for the goal.”