Senator Lindsey Graham has reacted to Russian drones that entered Polish airspace, which also sparked sharp political responses from Poland and EU leaders. In an interview with NBC News, Lindsey urged EU nations to get behind United States President Donald Trump to punish what he calls ‘Putin’s customers’, referring to India and China.
US Senator asserted, “It’s time for Europe to get behind President Donald Trump to punish Putin’s customers. Putin has been sanctioned in every way possible. President Trump’s approach is to go after India and China.” In the same breath, Lindsey added, “It is now time for Europe to get behind Trump’s approach. It is now time for Europeans to follow President Trump’s lead and go after China and India. They (China and India) will change their practices toward Putin, and this war will end.”
In a joint statement released on social media, Graham said he was “very pleased” with Trump’s strong call for coordinated economic action against Russian oil buyers. He argued that China was “propping up Putin’s war machine” by purchasing discounted oil and gas, and hence it must face punitive tariffs from the United States and its Nato allies.
The free world must act, and America must lead.
My statement with @RepBrianFitz: pic.twitter.com/bjdpe1ln2K— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 13, 2025
The joint statement also said: “For months, we’ve worked together on legislation that would back up this strategy, authorizing the President to levy significant tariffs on countries like China, India and Brazil that continue to finance Putin by buying his cheap oil and gas.”
TRUMP’S CALL TO HIT CHINA WITH 50-100% TARIFFS
On Saturday, United States President Donald Trump pressed Nato countries to stop buying oil from Russia and impose sanctions on it, while proposing to impose 50-100 per cent tariffs on China till Ukraine war ends.
The US president further proposed that Nato impose steep tariffs on China to weaken its influence over Moscow. “I believe that this, plus Nato, as a group, placing 50% to 100% TARIFFS ON CHINA, to be fully withdrawn after the war with Russia and Ukraine is ended, will also be of great help in ending this deadly, but ridiculous, war. China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia, and these powerful tariffs will break that grip.”
CHINA ON TRUMP’S 100% TARIFF CALL
Beijing also took a sharp dig at the US hours after President Donald Trump urged Nato members to halt Russian oil purchases and impose sanctions of up to 100 per cent on China, one of Moscow’s biggest buyers.
During a state visit to Slovenia, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that war cannot solve problems and sanctions only complicate them. China does not participate in or plan wars, and what China does is to encourage peace talks and promote political settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue,” Wang Yi reportedly said.
Additionally, the US has been urging G7 countries — including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom, most of whom are also Nato members — to step up pressure on Russia by imposing tariffs on India and China, both major buyers of Russian oil.
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