Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said President Trump's position is "absolutely clear": Europe must shoulder the primary burden of providing Ukraine with security guarantees.
Pompeo made the remarks in an interview with Natalia Moseychuk recorded on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion, "Hvylya" reports.
According to Pompeo, real progress on security guarantees has already been achieved. "I think the security measures in place are sufficient. I think Europe, the States, and Ukraine have come to agreement on what that should look like," Pompeo said.
He stressed the need to maintain pressure on Moscow: "Real, large-scale sanctions. Europe being serious, saying: no, we will no longer play games with Russian energy." Pompeo also argued that allowing Ukraine to strike "does not lead to escalation."
"It's Putin who escalated the conflict. We will not escalate it further - we will be serious about our intentions and show that we will not give up, will not walk away," Pompeo said. Putin, he said, was counting on Western capitulation this winter.
Pompeo said he is convinced that "there will come a day when the Russians conclude that losing a thousand soldiers a day is an unacceptable cost that exceeds the benefits of continuing the war." However, he admitted he does not know when that day will come.
Witkoff has already announced that territory issues will be resolved at a leaders' summit, while sanctions have become a fault line between Europe and the US.
Also read the RUSI analyst's warning about how the US deal on Ukraine could backfire militarily.