Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged support for Ukraine against Russia, saying the war's outcome "will have a direct impact" on U.S. national security.
Pompeo, in his role as a Hudson Institute distinguished fellow, on Tuesday released a statement on Ukraine aid.
"The United States must stand with Ukraine in its existential fight for national survival," Pompeo said.
"Make no mistake: the outcome of this war will have a direct impact on US national security. Should [Russia President Vladimir] Putin prevail — whether on the battlefield or through a war of attrition that leads to ill-conceived diplomacy — the war would be felt well beyond Ukraine's borders, including by strengthening a Russia-China-Iran alliance that aims to weaken the US and our allies across the globe."
Russia and Ukraine have been at war since February 2022, when Putin's forces began an unprovoked invasion.
Pompeo, also a former CIA director, said the U.S. and its allies would be "bolstering Putin, [Chinese President] Xi [Jinping], and [Iran's Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei by abandoning Ukraine."
"[We] should be accelerating the flow of weapons and ammunition to Kyiv to further decimate Russian military capabilities," Pompeo said. "The Biden administration should reverse its policy of denying weapons and adequate weapons supplies that would help Ukrainian forces end the fighting sooner than the current path we are on."
Pompeo ended his statement by referencing former President Ronald Reagan's stance on the Cold War.
"Asked what his strategy was for the Cold War, President Reagan responded, 'We win, they lose,'" Pompeo said. "For the likes of Putin, Xi, and Khamenei, put me in the Reagan camp."
In April, Pompeo visited Ukraine to underscore his support for Kyiv and said he would work toward Washington supplying F-16 fighter jets and long-range missiles for the country's war against Russia.
The U.S. in August approved the third-party transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands as soon as pilot training is complete.
President Joe Biden endorsed F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots in May, but the U.S. has proceeded cautiously due to concerns about provoking a direct confrontation with Russia.
During an appearance last month at the University of Virginia, Pompeo said Biden and his cabinet have not been able to convince Russian leadership that the costs of war in Ukraine outweigh the benefits.
"The mistake was that we were too afraid of provoking Vladimir Putin," Pompeo said, The Cavalier Daily reported. "Had they done the right things at the front end, we could have brought this to a conclusion more quickly."
The Hudson Institute describes itself as a think tank that challenges conventional thinking and helps manage strategic transitions through interdisciplinary studies in defense, international relations, economics, energy, technology, culture, and law.