United States Senator Lindsey Graham has issued a stark warning to India, China, and Brazil, threatening 100% tariffs if they continue importing cheap Russian oil, a move he claims is sustaining President Vladimir Putin’s war machine in Ukraine.
In an interview with Fox News, the Republican Senator said former President Donald Trump, if re-elected, would take aggressive action:
“Trump is going to impose tariffs on people that buy Russian oil: China, India, and Brazil. These three countries buy about 80% of it, keeping Putin’s war going.”
Graham criticized the countries for engaging in what he called “blood money” trade and warned that their economies would face serious consequences:
“If you keep buying cheap Russian oil, we’re going to tear the hell out of you and crush your economy,” he declared, adding that they would be forced to choose between the American economy and support for Putin.
He further accused Putin of attempting to resurrect the Soviet Union by invading sovereign nations, referencing Ukraine’s denuclearization in the 1990s as a broken trust by Russia.
“He’s not going to stop until somebody makes him stop,” Graham said. “Trump is the Scotty Scheffler of American diplomacy and he’s about to put a whooping on your ass,” he added, using sports metaphors to describe Trump’s anticipated foreign policy.
Graham concluded by asserting that Trump’s aggressive stance on sanctions would serve as a global signal to nations enabling Russian aggression, pressuring Putin to come to the negotiating table.
