Pompeo says the US has lost deterrence under Biden

The United States has lost the advantage of deterrence when dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and must keep in mind that "the world is watching" American actions overall, says former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

"People around the world see that if the American leaders can't be trusted, not just in the things that they say, but in the actions that they take," Pompeo said during an appearance on the "Just the News, Not Noise" television show.

Attention particularly is being directed toward America's actions and words regarding Russia, Pompeo said. Noting that Putin has made clear that his end game revolves around power, Pompeo stressed the importance of addressing the situation properly.

"This is about credibility," Pompeo said. "When the Trump administration spoke, we were careful, we were restrained. We didn't run around saying we were going to send the 82nd airborne or the 101st Airborne Division everywhere. But when we said we were going to do something, we committed to it, we lived up to it, our deeds matched our rhetoric, our words."

Under President Joe Biden, America has lost credibility, Pompeo suggested —  and with it, the ability to fend off aggressive behavior from other nations.

"We lost deterrence," Pompeo said. "And when you lose deterrence, it is a nightmare to get it back."

Pompeo offered advice to Biden for dealing with Putin.

"Be consistent, be serious," he said. "Don't telegraph what you're not going to do every day and all day, certainly not in public. And make clear to Vladimir Putin that we're going to continue to press this case, we're going to press our European partners to put enormous financial pain on him."

Putin should know that the pressure will continue as long as Russian forces attack Ukraine, he said.

"Until such time as he puts his guns to rest, that would be the most important thing to get the guns to stop," Pompeo said. "And then we can resolve how to move forward in this place."

The advice applies to leaders in other potential trouble spots, Pompeo said, again referencing his time in the Trump administration.

"When we said we were going to do something, whether that was with Korea or Iran or against the Chinese Communist Party, we actually executed on those very stated intentions."

Pompeo's full interview can be watched on "Just the News, Not Noise."