“When Donald Trump and I observe that, as I’ve said, in Syria, in Iran, in Ukraine, that the small and bullying leader of Russia has been stronger on the world stage than this administration, that’s stating painful facts.
That’s not an endorsement of Vladimir Putin — that’s an indictment of the weak and feckless leadership of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.” ..."
[Pence continues]
What we’re dealing with is the — you know, there’s an old proverb that says the Russian bear never dies, it just hibernates.
And the truth of the matter is, the weak and feckless foreign policy of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama has awakened an aggression in Russia that first appeared a few years ago with their move in Georgia, now their move into Crimea, now their move into the wider Middle East. ..."
“During the Ukrainian prime minister’s visit to Washington last week [Mar 2014], his government urgently requested military assistance.
The [Obama administration] Pentagon refused. It offered instead military [food] ration kits.
Putin mobilizes thousands of troops, artillery and attack helicopters on Ukraine’s borders and Washington counters with baguettes, American-style.
One thing we can say for sure in these uncertain times: The invasion of Ukraine will be catered by the United States.
Why did we [Obama admin] deny Ukraine weapons?
Because in the Barack Obama-John Kerry worldview, arming the victim might be taken as a provocation.
This kind of mind-bending illogic has marked the administration’s response to the whole Crimea affair.
Why, after all, did Obama delay responding to Putin’s infiltration, military occupation and seizure of Crimea in the first place?”
—Washington Post, March 20, 2014