Pence: No room for 'apologists for Putin' in the Republican party

There's one person to blame for the unfolding tragedy of Russian aggression in Ukraine. And that's Vladimir Putin. While some in my party have taken a somewhat different view, let me be clear. There can be no room in the leadership of the Republican Party for apologists for Putin. There can only be room for champions of freedom. During the 2016 campaign, I called Vladimir Putin the small and bullying leader of Russia. And over the past year, the world has seen Putin reveal his true nature.

A dictator consumed by a lust for conquest, willing to sacrifice untold blood and treasure to further his delusions of re-establishing some greater Russian empire. So the world has been inspired by the Ukrainian people. The free world has been inspired to stand by them. And the world now better understands the truth of Putin and his ambitions.

NBC News