Pence says US must ‘remain vigilant’ about Moscow election meddling

Vice President Mike Pence on Monday said that the U.S. must “remain vigilant” over Russia’s meddling in elections during a joint press conference in Poland, according to a Reuters report.

“With its efforts to meddle in elections across Europe and around the world now is the time for us to remain vigilant about the intentions and the actions being taken by Russia,” Pence said, according to the report.

{mosads}Pence was in Poland after President Trump canceled his planned trip to Warsaw ahead of Hurricane Dorian hitting the U.S. The Category 5 storm set to hit the east coast.  

Pence was in Poland on a trip that President Trump was originally scheduled to take, but had to back out of due to Hurricane Dorian.

Trump faced criticism from U.S. allies just one week earlier over his call at a Group of 7 (G-7) summit in France that Russia should be allowed to rejoin the group.

Russia was ousted from then G-8 over its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, largely seen as an illegal move.

Pence took a different tone than the president, suggesting the U.S. will support its allies.

“We know there is still more work to do on many fronts, because despite years of negotiations Russian forces still illegally occupy large parts of Georgia and Ukraine,” Pence said, based on the Reuters report. 

“The truth is Moscow seeks to divide our alliance, now with its oil and gas reserves. Poland has taken a strong stand as we have to promote energy independence and security.”

Trump has taken little to no action over Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election, even after former special counsel Robert Mueller’s report found evidence the foreign nation interfered and warned that they will likely do so again. 

The trip commemorates 80 years since the start of World War II.