World
Pence urges GOP to unite behind Ukraine in bid to counter China, Russia
FIRST ON FOX – In a bid to urge fellow members of the Republican Party to unite behind Ukraine, former Vice President Mike Pence is hitting back on the GOP’s opposition to continued U.S. support for Kyiv in its war against Russia.
The number one reason Pence argues the GOP should back Ukraine is also the party’s chief argument against continued support – China.
“China is openly assisting Russia in its invasion of Ukraine,” Pence said in a Tuesday memo in coordination with the conservative nonprofit, Advancing American Freedoms. “Defeating Russia hamstrings China.
Servicemen of the 24th Mechanised Brigade fire a” Giatsint-S” 152mm self-propelled howitzer towards Russian positions near Chasiv Yar town, in Donetsk region of Ukraine on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukrainian 24th Mechanised Brigade via AP)
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“Russian control over Ukraine would provide China with more oil and natural gas, further fueling China’s expansionist ambitions,” he added.
Pence also argued that a win for Russia would be a win for China and further empower both authoritarian regimes.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, right, meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in secret trip June 29, 2023. (Fox News)
Many Republicans in the Upper Chamber, like Sen. Lindsey Graham and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have unequivocally backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy – some even making the trip to Ukraine, while many Republicans in the House have opposed more U.S. support over concerns related to spending.
GOP division on the matter not only held up U.S. support for Ukraine and significantly impacted its war effort during the winter and spring months, but it could also spell trouble for the party as Americans head to the pulls this November.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, speaks during his visit to Zaporizhzhia region, the site of fierce battles with the Russian troops in Ukraine, on Feb. 4, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
“The Biden-Harris administration has failed America at home and abroad, so it is small wonder there are skeptics of continuing aid to Ukraine,” Pence said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “But the simple fact is America will be less secure if Ukraine falls.
“A more powerful Russia will only encourage China to be more aggressive. Standing firm in providing lethal aid to Ukraine will restrain authoritarian regimes from Tehran to Beijing, and, most importantly, will protect and secure our great nation,” he added.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin look toward each other as they shake hands prior to their talks in Beijing on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
However, China is not the only concern some in the GOP have floated when it comes to continued Ukrainian support.
Concerns over U.S. border security and the massive debt Washington faces have also been routinely cited as major issues, prompting some to opt out of supporting Kyiv.
“Securing the border is primarily an issue of willpower, not a $$$ problem,” Pence said, claiming that Putin in the past has “weaponized refugees” and he could do it again if he isn’t stopped in Ukraine.
“While there’s no question that the federal government has a massive overspending problem, lethal aid to Ukraine has been worth every penny,” he said.
Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks during an event to promote his new book at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank on Oct. 19, 2022 in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The memo pointed out that the U.S. has used just 1.5 % of its federal budget to defend Ukraine and to “degrad[e] the Russian military from the second best in the world to the second best in Ukraine.”
“The cost of a Russian attack on a NATO ally, who we are treaty-bound to defend, would quickly exceed 1.5% of the federal budget,” he added. “It is in America’s best interests for Ukraine to win the war.”
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World
Iran continues firing missiles, drones at neighboring states, with multiple interceptions reported
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Iran launched a new wave of attacks on Thursday, with explosions reported in the region and Tehran threatening that the U.S. would “bitterly regret” sinking an Iranian warship.
Iran’s strikes on Thursday targeted Israel, American bases and countries in the region. Israel announced multiple incoming missile attacks as air raid sirens blared in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense on Thursday said Iran used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in an attack on Nakhchivan International Airport and other civilian infrastructure. The ministry said the details of the attack and the capabilities of the UAVs were being investigated.
“The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan strongly condemns the attacks carried out by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran against civilian infrastructure on the territory of Azerbaijan in the absence of any military necessity. The Islamic Republic of Iran bears the entire responsibility for the incident,” the ministry’s statement read.
Explosions seen and heard in Azerbaijan as Iran launches retaliatory attacks across the Middle East. (East2West)
Iran has not acknowledged targeting Azerbaijan, despite the country’s ministry of defense pointing the finger at Tehran.
Qatar evacuated residents near the U.S. Embassy in Doha on Thursday, with its Ministry of Defense confirming that the country was “subjected to a missile attack” and that its air defense systems were able to intercept it. The ministry urged the public to remain calm and avoid unofficial information.
Abu Dhabi announced that its authorities were responding to an incident involving falling debris in ICAD 2, which is part of the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi. Six people, identified by Abu Dhabi as Pakistani and Nepali nationals, suffered minor to moderate injuries.
A plume of smoke rises over buildings in Doha, Qatar, on March 5, 2026. (Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images)
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Iran has carried out retaliatory strikes since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, with the latest wave coming one day after the U.S. sunk an Iranian warship, killing at least 87 Iranian sailors. Sri Lankan navy spokesman Cmdr. Buddhika Sampath said 32 people were rescued from the wreck and were admitted to a hospital.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the move during a news briefing at the Pentagon.
“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo — Quiet Death. The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II. Like in that war, back when we were still the War Department, we are fighting to win,” Hegseth said.
Missile interceptions are seen in the sky on March 5, 2026, in Central Israel. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
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Iranian leaders condemned the attack, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accusing the U.S. Navy of committing “an atrocity at sea.” Meanwhile, Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli appeared on state television and called for the shedding of Israeli and “Trump’s blood.”
“Fight the oppressive America, his blood is on my shoulders,” he said in a rare call for violence from an ayatollah, one of the highest ranks within the clergy of Shiite Islam.
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The U.S. and Israel launched the war on Saturday with strikes targeting Iran’s leadership, including the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed. Iran’s missile arsenal and nuclear facilities were also hit.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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