In a ‘Meet the Press’ interview, Sen. Lindsey Graham advocates for a new approach to end the war, urging European allies to impose tariffs on countries that purchase Russian oil.
In a “Meet the Press” interview on Sunday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) articulated a new strategy for pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. According to Graham, traditional sanctions against Russia have been ineffective, and the focus must now shift to the countries that are funding Putin’s war machine by buying his oil.
He specifically called on Europe to “get behind President Trump to punish Putin’s customers.”
Graham’s comments come in the wake of continued Russian aggression, including violations of NATO airspace in Poland and Romania. The senator, who has been a vocal proponent of a strong stance against Russia, argued that Putin is unconcerned with sanctions that have already been put in place and will only respond to measures that directly cut off his revenue stream.
READ: Trump Issues Ultimatum To NATO: Ditch Russian Oil And Tariff China Or I Won’t Sanction Russia
The approach, which Graham described as the “Trump approach,” involves imposing tariffs on countries like China and India that are major purchasers of Russian energy. Graham pointed out that the President has already imposed a 25% tariff on Indian products coming into the U.S. and is now urging European allies to follow suit with tariffs of “50 to 100 percent” on Chinese goods.
“It is now time for Europe to get behind their Trump approach,” Graham said. “This war would end if Europe and the United States came together tomorrow and said, ‘You know, China and India, you can’t have access to our economy, the European economy, the American economy, unless you stop buying Russian oil.'”
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Graham revealed that he is pushing for a bipartisan sanctions bill, which has 85 co-sponsors in the Senate, to give the President the authority to implement these measures. He suggested that the bill could be linked to the government spending bill to ensure its passage.
When questioned why the ultimatum was directed at Europe and not Putin, Graham responded, “Putin doesn’t care about sanctions. He obeys sanctions. He lives well.” Instead, the bill he is backing is “directed toward China, India, Brazil, and other countries that buy his cheap Russian oil and gas to give him the money to prosecute the war.” The senator expressed hope that if these key customers were cut off from the European and American economies, their behavior would change, ultimately forcing Putin to end the conflict.
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