Russia's Vladimir Putin is potentially playing the U.S. and the world with disingenuous peace talks, likening the effort to Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown, according to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
"So here's what I think: We're going to be Lucy with the football if we don't watch it," Graham told Sunday's NBC "Meet the Press."
"We keep engaging Russia. We keep engaging, trying to lure Putin to the peace table, and he rebuffs all of our efforts."
President Donald Trump needs to lean more on strength in the peace through strength approach, going "all in" against Putin aggression, according to Graham.
"If he says no this time, here's what I hope President Trump will do: Sign my bill that has 85 co-sponsors and puts tariffs on countries like China, who buy cheap Russian oil," Graham told host Kristen Welker.
"Make Russia a state sponsor of terrorism for kidnapping 20,000 Ukrainian kids. And most importantly, seize ships that are carrying sanctioned Russian oil like you're doing in Venezuela.
"If Putin says no, we need to dramatically change the game, including giving Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine to hit the drone and missile factories that exist in Russia. I would go all in if Putin says no."
Putin just does not show a true willingness to end the war, despite suggestions he is ready to talk, Graham said.
"I think we're overestimating – the people negotiating, who are good friends – Putin's willingness to end the war," Graham said of Trump's peace talks team, which concluded three days of talks Sunday in Miami.
"Listen, we've made great progress between Ukraine, Europe, and the United States to come up with a proposal that would end the war. We're not going to evict every Russian out of Ukraine. I understand that. But I want a deal that would prevent a third invasion.
"I want European troops on the ground to make sure there's no third invasion. I want us to give security guarantees to Ukraine to make sure there's no third invasion. I think Putin's going to continue to take the Donbas by force until we increase pressure."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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