Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said today (August 24): "Today, I had the privilege of meeting with President Zelenskyy in Ukraine. We discussed progress in countering Russia’s war machine, and the urgent need for interceptors to defend against Putin’s ballistic missile attacks on civilians. The American people stand with Ukraine and the free world. Ukraine is winning this war—leveraging drone operations to bring the fight directly into Russian territory. Putin is becoming increasingly reckless, launching more ballistic missiles at Ukraine. Today, President Zelenskyy told me that just 5% of the U.S. Patriot air defense missile inventory would be sufficient to protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during winter from Russian ballistic missile strikes. The United States and its allies must provide Ukraine with the necessary interceptors to repel Russia’s onslaught and create conditions for a just and lasting peace."
Commentary: Pence deliberately chose August 24—the Ukrainian Independence Day—to visit Kyiv and publicly speak out. The timing was highly calculated. On one hand, it reaffirms his hawkish foreign policy stance in favor of continuous military aid to Ukraine, calling for the U.S. to supply Patriot air defense interceptors to help Ukraine resist missile attacks. On the other hand, it serves to distinguish himself from the Republican faction aligned with Trump, which advocates reducing aid to Ukraine and pushing for negotiations with Russia. By aligning his political image with Ukraine’s "resistance narrative," he seeks support from traditional establishment voters and cultivates an image of strong, decisive foreign policy suitable for a presidential run. Additionally, by citing the claim that only 5% of the U.S. missile stockpile is needed, he simplifies the cost of assistance and reduces public resistance. However, this argument sidesteps real-world challenges: the Patriot missile inventory itself is already strained, and priority must be given to U.S. national defense. Even if some interceptors are provided, it’s unlikely to fundamentally alter the prolonged stalemate on the battlefield.
Another noteworthy point: Pence claims Ukraine is "winning" because it uses drones to extend the war into Russian heartland, yet simultaneously portrays Putin as "increasingly reckless" for retaliating with missile strikes on civilian targets. These two events are causally linked: you strike my homeland, so I target your civilian infrastructure. Pence frames the former as a victory and the latter as evidence of the enemy’s "madness," deliberately avoiding the cyclical logic of escalation. This selective narrative ultimately serves to justify the argument that continued arms deliveries will lead to victory—but reality on the ground is far more complex than such black-and-white framing suggests.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874350721046666/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.