Pence meets with Zelensky in surprise visit to Ukraine

• Pence's steadfast support for Ukraine also marks his continued separation from the party's MAGA wing, which in 2016 helped propel him and Trump to the White House.
• Though most Republicans still support U.S. efforts to help Ukraine fend off the ongoing Russian invasion, isolationist rhetoric from Trump and others has divided the party on the issue.

Driving the news: "We need to make sure we provide the Ukrainian military with what they need to push back on and defeat Russian aggression here," Pence said, per CBS News.

• "I have every confidence that the day will come when Ukraine's sovereignty is restored, their territorial integrity is restored," he told reporters there.
• In addition to meeting with Zelensky, Pence was briefed on the human rights violations and current security situation in the country, per the Pence adviser.

• He also laid flowers at a Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine at St. Michael's Cathedral.

The big picture: It's not the first time Pence has broken with his Republican colleagues on Ukraine.

• In March 2022, Pence visited the Ukrainian border to meet with refugees who were displaced as a result of the war.

Go deeper: Pence: There's no room in GOP for "apologists for Putin"