Sen. Lindsey Graham on Saturday urged swift passage of bipartisan legislation imposing tougher sanctions on Russia, calling the measure a "game changer" that would give President Donald Trump greater leverage to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
"I am extremely grateful that Senate Majority Leader Thune committed to me and Senator Blumenthal that he will take up our Russia sanctions legislation as soon as we have the votes," Graham said in a statement. "It is abundantly clear to me that a super majority will vote for this bill."
Graham said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the development. "When I informed President Zelenskyy of this news, he was thrilled. This will make a tremendous impact in Ukraine," he said.
The South Carolina Republican emphasized that "President Trump has embraced it" and declared, "It is time to vote."
The push comes as Trump has struggled to secure a lasting ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv despite repeated efforts to broker negotiations.
While intermittent talks and temporary pauses in fighting have been discussed, Russian President Vladimir Putin "is not fully embracing peace at this point," Graham said, underscoring the difficulty of bringing the Kremlin to the table.
"I do believe Putin can be pushed to the peace table, but he’s not there yet," Graham said.
Graham argued that tougher sanctions, particularly targeting Russia’s energy revenues and the countries purchasing its oil, are key to shifting the balance.
"Passage of this bill would give President Trump more leverage," he said. "China is the key. China must feel the pain of supporting Putin’s war machine through purchasing cheap Russian oil. This bill would give tools to the president to inflict that pain."
He also called on European allies to match U.S. efforts.
"I have also heard from many of our friends and allies in Europe that they support our legislation. I would now ask our European allies to engage," Graham said. "Europe has passed 20 sanctions packages, but they have had limited impact. Europe needs to up its game."
Graham pointed to the Trump administration’s use of tariffs on India as an example of economic pressure altering behavior, saying the move "caused India to change its behavior, in terms of purchasing cheap Russian oil."
Beyond sanctions, Graham suggested expanding U.S. military support for Ukraine, recommending that Washington train Ukrainian forces on the Tomahawk missile system.
"In order to apply pressure to Putin’s war machine, it’s time to train Ukrainians on the Tomahawk missile system,” he said, adding that Ukraine believes it “can make great utilization of this new capability."
Graham framed the legislation as part of a broader effort to end the conflict on terms that preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty and deter further aggression.
"I am not looking for confrontation, I am looking for an end to the brutality in Ukraine that leads to a just and honorable peace," he said. That outcome, he added, must ensure "an independent, sovereign Ukraine that is still standing" and includes "security guarantees that would prevent a third invasion."
"These things are achievable only when Putin feels the pressure," Graham said. "In my opinion, that comes from making his oil and gas customers feel the pressure."
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