Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cast serious doubt on claims that the war in Ukraine is nearing an end, arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin will only negotiate once he faces significantly greater pressure.
Pompeo’s remarks came after President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy struck an optimistic tone during a joint press conference Sunday following high-level negotiations. Trump said that “a lot of progress” had been made toward ending the conflict, while Zelenskyy estimated that a proposed 20-point peace framework was roughly 90% complete.
Pompeo, however, warned that optimism alone will not move the Kremlin.
“Putin has conceded literally nothing to date,” Pompeo said, expressing skepticism that Russia would compromise on the remaining 10% of unresolved issues.
“In the end, Vladimir Putin is going to need to be hit with a lot bigger stick before he’s prepared to actually come to the negotiating table in a serious way,” Pompeo said Monday during an appearance on Fox & Friends.
Zelenskyy emphasized that he and Trump “agree that security guarantees are a key milestone in achieving lasting peace.” Pompeo pushed back on proposals involving European military forces along Russia’s border, arguing such measures would be unacceptable to Moscow and unlikely to deter aggression.
According to Pompeo, Russia’s rhetoric and battlefield behavior show no meaningful willingness to compromise.
“The way this ends is the Ukrainians continue to do the necessary, defend themselves and also make deep strikes against Russian military assets,” Pompeo said.
He pointed specifically to infrastructure targets such as refineries and munitions plants, which he said have enabled Russia to rapidly expand its war machine. Pompeo cited reports indicating that 15% to 20% of Russia’s energy infrastructure has already been taken offline and noted that Russia has suffered nearly a million casualties since the invasion began.
“It will be those kinds of things that ultimately convince Putin that the benefit of peace is greater than the cost of continuing,” Pompeo said.
