Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he saw no indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin was prepared to halt the war against Ukraine. He argued that negotiations could continue, but warned that any agreement with Moscow would require strict verification.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported the remarks on Friday, October 30. Pompeo contrasted Kyiv's stated openness to broader ceasefire arrangements with what he described as the Kremlin's willingness to accept only limited pauses.

In his assessment, the durability of a settlement would depend less on the exact location of dividing lines than on enforceable security commitments. He said a European military presence along a future contact line could make another Russian attack a direct challenge to the wider West.

Pompeo also portrayed Russia's cooperation with China, Iran and North Korea as a coordinated threat spanning weapons, technology and intelligence. While insisting that Western states could prevail, he said doing so would require sustained defense spending, military preparation and political leadership in both Europe and the United States.