Pence denies that Iran war hurting Ukraine by depleting US stockpiles

Former Vice President Mike Pence denied Sunday that the U.S. military depleting its weapons stockpiles in the Iran war is hurting Ukraine in its ongoing fight against Russia.

“I don’t see it that way, and I don’t think… the Ukrainians do either,” Pence told host Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union,” while in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

“As I talked to President Zelensky, he made it very clear that they have the ability to deal with the drone warfare,” Pence added.

The former vice president addressed the National Prayer Breakfast in Ukraine on Sunday and spoke with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The U.S. military has exhausted nearly 80 percent of its terminal high-altitude area defense missile interceptors since the start of the Iran war, CNN reported earlier this month .

The Pentagon has also burned through roughly half of its Patriot interceptors since the conflict began, according to CNN.

Analysts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated in May it would take the U.S. until mid-2029 to replenish its Patriot stockpiles to their prewar inventory.

That depletion comes as Russian forces continue to strike Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv. July saw the highest monthly total of Ukrainian civilian casualties in the war since March 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission reported earlier this month .

“Civilians are facing intensified risks from the increased use of missiles and drones in urban centers, glide bombs in cities closer to the frontline, and short-range drones,” said Danielle Bell, the head of the mission’s Ukraine office.

“Together, these attacks are driving up civilian casualties across different regions of Ukraine,” Bell noted.

Pence referenced the increases in Russian strikes, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin has authorized the use of high-arc ballistic missiles “in an act of desperation.”

The former vice president also said Zelensky told him he expects Russian forces to strike energy infrastructure sites in Ukraine as the winter grows closer. To combat that, Pence said Zelensky requested 5 percent of the U.S. military’s remaining Patriot inventory.

“He said, ‘We’re looking just for 5 percent of your remaining Patriot inventory,’ and he believes that would get them through the winter months,” Pence told Bash.

“If we give them what they need, they’re going to secure their sovereignty and a peaceful and just future,” the former vice president later remarked, referring to Ukraine. “I just know it with all my heart.”