Mike Pompeo, Who Came Under Fire for Calling Putin ‘Savvy,’ Accuses Russian Leader of ‘War Criminal Activity’ in Ukraine

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who came under fire for recently calling Vladimir Putin “savvy,” said on Monday that Russian president has conducted “war criminal activity” in Ukraine.

In February, ahead of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, Pompeo labeled Putin as “very savvy” and “very shrewd.”

On Sunday, Pompeo’s successor as the top U.S. diplomat, Antony Blinken, told CNN that there are “very credible reports of deliberate attacks on civilians which would constitute a war crime. We’ve seen very credible reports about the use of certain weapons.”

“What we’re doing right now is making sure that as people and the appropriate organizations and institutions investigate whether war crimes have been or are being committed,” added Blinken.

On Fox News’ America’s Newsroom on Monday, Pompeo slammed Russia and Putin.

“There’s almost no doubt that videos are showing things that would account for true criminal activity, war criminal activity not only from those who are actually conducting the strikes but Russian leadership, those that ordered the strikes and those that permitted them including all the way up to and including Vladimir Putin,” he said.

Pompeo remarked that the strikes on civilian population centers are related to “Russian policy that’s consistent with their training and doctrine which is if you aren’t successful in your blitzkrieg, if you aren’t successful with decapitation then the next thing do is destroy the population’s will to continue to fight. And that’s clearly the mode they are now in.”

He called for the United States and its European allies to continue supporting Ukraine.

Pompeo’s remarks have come as Russian efforts to take over major cities like the capital of Kyiv have stalled.

Watch above, via Fox News.