Pence urges swift secondary sanctions on Russia to back peace talks

Former Vice President Mike Pence called on President Donald Trump to bring the “hammer” down on Russia, urging a swift round of secondary sanctions to target Vladimir Putin’s economy even as Washington pursues a broader peace process in Ukraine. Pence, speaking on a Sunday program, framed the approach as a necessary complement to diplomacy: engage with Putin but make clear that economic pressure will intensify if Moscow does not concede to a path toward just and lasting peace. He also pressed the president to push Senate leaders to move a bipartisan sanctions bill that would authorize penalties supported by a wide majority in Congress. The remarks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is preparing to visit the White House, joined by European leaders, amid a summit in Alaska that produced no immediate ceasefire.

Pence reiterated a view he has long held about Trump’s negotiating style with autocratic leaders—“the velvet glove” paired with “the hammer.” He said the United States should show both readiness to engage and willingness to impose consequences. “The hammer needs to come, and it needs to come immediately,” Pence said, arguing that the combination of ongoing...