Vladimir Putin will wage war against NATO and drag American troops into a global conflict if Russia defeats Ukraine, the former US Vice President has said.
In an alarming speech in Belgium on Thursday, Mike Pence warned that Russian fighters could be on the verge of spilling over into NATO territory.
He referenced Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which rules that an attack on one member is an attack on every single member.
This means that if Russian troops did advance across the border into NATO turf, the Americans would have no choice but to get involved.
Pence said this is guaranteed to happen if Ukraine is beaten by Russia.
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He said: “I have no doubt in my mind the time would come that he would cross the border [into Europe], that our men and women in uniform would have to fight.
“It would not be very long before he crossed the border that our men would have to go fight under Article 5.”
His comments come as he appeals to Congress to end the months-long delay to an additional major military aid package for Kyiv.
Pence added: “Our NATO allies today are in a better position to [support] Ukraine over the last two years because of those increases in defence spending than they would have been otherwise.”
His appeal came as US House speaker Mike Johnson revealed that votes on the aid packages for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific could finally be held on Saturday.
They would see a major cash injection of up to £76 billion ($95 billion) that has been held up due to Republican opposition.
This is not the first time US funding for Ukraine has been held up.
Back in March, US President Joe Biden agreed to send a new military aid package worth £241 million ($300 million).
It marked the first move in months as additional funds for the invaded nation have repeatedly been blocked by Republicans.
So far, Washington has given Ukraine more than £35 billion ($44 billion) in lethal aid since Putin first launched his illegal invasion in February 2022.
Republicans such as former president Donald Trump have argued that European countries, rather the the US, should be the ones helping Kyiv.
He wrote on his Truth Social media platform: “Why isn’t Europe giving more money to help Ukraine? Why is it that the United States is over $100 Billion … into the Ukraine War more than Europe, and we have an Ocean between us as separation?
“Why can’t Europe equalize or match the money put in by the United States of America in order to help a Country in desperate need?
“As everyone agrees, Ukrainian Survival and Strength should be much more important to Europe than to us, but it is also important to us! GET MOVING EUROPE!”
Tyler Mitchell