By Steve Holland and Tim Reid
(Reuters) -Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who is running for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election, made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Thursday to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
"Freedom is winning in Ukraine, and now more than ever, we need to keep faith with the courageous fighters here in Ukraine who are standing for freedom and pushing back on Russian aggression," Pence told reporters after meeting with Zelenskiy.
Pence is the first Republican presidential candidate to meet Zelenskiy during the campaign.
Pence has been a vocal critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and full-throated supporter of Ukraine, as he takes on his former boss Donald Trump for their party's nomination.
Trump has declined to say he wants Ukraine to win the war, instead saying he wants a negotiated solution between Russia and Ukraine.
Pence trails Trump by over 30 points in most opinion polls among Republican voters who will chose the candidate to take on Democratic President Joe Biden.
Pence laid flowers at The Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine in Kyiv. He traveled to Ukraine with Samaritan's Purse, a U.S.-based charity that has been providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainian civilians, a Pence adviser said.
The U.S. government has provided more than $40 billion in weaponry and other military aid to Ukraine. Solid majorities of Americans support providing weaponry to Ukraine, according to a Reuters/Ipsos survey.
Pence also received a briefing from Ukrainian officials about Russian human rights violations since Russian forces invaded Ukraine 16 months ago.
The Ukraine war issue has divided Republican presidential candidates.
Former President Trump's closest rival for the nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has questioned the amount of aid that should be provided for Ukraine, while Nikki Haley, Trump's former U.N. ambassador, and U.S. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, back continuing support.
"American support for Ukraine is vital - from all Americans, every American family, all US civil society, all political leaders, Congress - both parties and of course, from U.S. President Biden," Zelenskiy said in his nightly address, thanking Americans. He and Pence "talked about arms, our soldiers' capabilities, and our common values," Zelenskiy said.