US threatens 'bone-crushing' sanctions on Russia including 500% oil tariff plan if Putin shuns Ukraine peace talks
The White House could soon impose 'bone-crushing' sanctions on Russia and punitive tariffs on countries that buy their oil and gas if Moscow fail to seriously engage in peace talks with Ukraine.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a key ally of President Donald Trump, has claimed he has enough support for his bill that aims to force Vladimir Putin 's into talks with Kyiv.
The proposal - announced on the same day that Ukraine and the US signed a minerals deal - would see a 500 per cent tariff on imports from countries that buy Russian oil, petroleum products, natural gas or uranium if Putin fails to come to the negotiating table.
Trump has been keen to broker a permanent peace deal between Russia and Ukraine since taking office in January, even if it means Kyiv giving up territory.
'The goal is to help the president,' the South Carolina Senator said, adding that the measures were 'bone-crushing'.
'He talked about being frustrated.
'I want a negotiated end to the war, honorably and just.
'I think Trump's the best person to achieve that goal, but these sanctions represent the Senate's view that we see the primary bad guy being Russia.'
Putin, he said, 'would be making a huge mistake to try to play Trump, so this bill is a tool in President Trump's toolbox.
'When President Trump believes that we've reached an impasse, then watch for action.
'Most members of the Senate believe that Putin has been resistant to finding a negotiated solution to the war, and has been brazen and barbaric in his actions against Ukraine.
'By co-sponsoring this bill I think a senator is making a pretty clear statement that they see Russia as the greatest offender here.'
Named the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, the sanctions would be introduced on Russia if Moscow refuses to negotiate a peace agreement, violates a peace agreement or invades Ukraine again in the future.
Graham predicted that his bill will have at least 67 co-sponsors from the Senate by the end of the week - enough to override a potential Presidential veto if Trump is against the plan.
The list of current supporters is evenly divided between senators from both the Democrats and Republicans and notably includes Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Support has been boosted in recent weeks following Russian attacks on civlian populations in Ukraine, he suggested.
Graham's office said that the tariffs would likely have the largest impact on India, China and Iran. It could also affect some European partners who still buy Russian goods.
Moscow accounted for 17 per cent of gas and 18 per cent of liquefied-natural-gas imports to the European Union in 2024.
The US-Ukraine deal signed today will provide Washington with privileged access to new investment projects to develop Ukraine's natural resources, including aluminum, graphite, oil and natural gas.
It will also involve establishing a 'Reconstruction Investment Fund' for Ukraine, to spur Kyiv's economic recovery.
Trump has so far avoided introducing any punitive measures against Russia despite the continuing assault on Ukraine.
After Russia killed 12 civilians in Kyiv last month, the US President called the attack 'not necessary' and 'very bad timing,' appealing directly to Putin with 'Vladimir, Stop!' - but did not outline any consequences.
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Scottish Sun
12 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Meet Ukraine's special ops unit wiping out Putin's war machine from bomber blitz to £3bn bridge… & what they'll hit next
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DEEP behind enemy lines, Ukraine's special ops unit marked a turning point in modern warfare after drones blitzed Vladimir Putin's prized bombers beyond repair. Ukraine's Security Service - the SBU - is wiping out the Russian tyrant's war machine with stunning success. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 14 Ukraine destroyed a third of Putin's strategic bomber fleet in Operation Spiderweb 14 Ukraine hit Belaya Air Base in Russia's Irkutsk region, deep in Siberia 14 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting with the head of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) Vasyl Malyuk in Kyiv 14 On Sunday, the SBU's Operation Spiderweb destroyed a third of Putin's nuclear bomber fleet. It set a new high point for Ukraine's spies - showing incredible ingenuity, reach, and coordination inside a hostile country. The SBU, led by Vasyl Malyuk, carried out the attack and has proved itself to be one of the best agencies in the world. Over the three years of the war, the SBU has repeatedly assassinated commanders, bombed key sites, and attacked Putin's beloved bridge in Crimea. Despite Russia being larger, stronger, and holding the cards at the start of the war - it is Ukraine who has carried out a string of daring sabotage attacks. Experts told The Sun why they think Ukraine and the SBU has been able to pull off these attacks - and what they could strike next. Best spies in Europe Former MI6 intelligence officer Matthew Dunn said Spiderweb showed the SBU were the best spies in Europe. He said: "Being an intelligence officer, there's no static, fixed rule book about what one does." One question the world has been left asking is how Ukraine managed to get the drones inside Russia. The bestselling spy novelist and podcast host at SafeHouse Productions said there is no clear answer. Putin plotting 'final killer offensive' to WIN Ukraine war despite Russian losses nearing 1 MILLION He said: "The commanders involved in this at high level, they would have been very open-minded about how to get these drones into the country." Dunn said SBU spies could have smuggled drones over the border on foot, via parachute, or even a raft - whatever was the safest and easiest way. He said: "The intelligence operation and the officers involved would have been as creative as possible. "The issue is, the more people you involve... the higher the risk of compromise. "Sometimes with these kind of things, risky and daring as they can be, sometimes simplicity is the answer." Dunne thinks the stunning success of Spiderweb means the SBU will only continue being pragmatic and open-minded. 14 A Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) serviceman stands in front of the entrance of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery 14 Malyuk looking at photos of the airports targeted by Ukraine Credit: AFP 14 Dunne said: "The [Spiderweb] punch to Russia is [the SBU] saying, 'we're not giving up, and this is our reach. This is what we can do'." He said the SBU would choose their victims on a "case by case" basis as it continues to cripple the Russian war machine. That's bad news for Putin - who will likely only going to see more goons assassinated, infrastructure attacked, and his beloved Crimea bridge bombed. And foreign intelligence agencies will be watching and trying to figure out the SBU's methods. Russians as spies Dr Jade McGlynn said the SBU uses civilians to sabotage Russia in the exact same way Vlad does to the West. The expert in Ukraine's resistance fighters at King's College London said she expected apathetic and bribed Russians to have played "at least some role" in Sunday's attack. McGlynn believes Ukraine targeted Russians who didn't care for their country or the invasion and needed a bit of spare cash. 14 Artyom Timofeev has been accused by Russian bloggers of orchestrating Operation Spiderweb Credit: East2West 14 It is not known exactly what relationship Artem has, if any, with the SBU Credit: East2West She said: "We keep on seeing this outsourcing, where they'll [Ukraine's spies] pay random people, maybe lure them in, they know they [Russian civilians] need a bit of money, and then they'll try and bomb a shopping center." Russian bloggers accused Ukraine's spies of hiring Russian lorry drivers to get the shipping crates into position next to the air bases. Lorry drivers reportedly said they received instructions from an "Artem" and had no idea what was in the containers they transported. Ukraine later released footage of the containers starting their journeys - as drivers took the vehicles to their fateful destinations. Eyes and ears On the ground, Putin is also battling to stop partisans, groups of militants, inside Russia who oppose his rule. He's fighting against both Ukrainians caught behind the front line and Russians who hate Putin. McGlynn said it was hard to know exactly how big resistance groups are, how many of them there are, and what exactly they do given the secrecy involved. But she warned that some are the "eyes and ears" of Ukrainian intelligence in Russia. 14 A member of the pro-Ukrainian Russian paramilitary group Freedom of Russia Legion Credit: Reuters 14 Russian partisan group Atesh destroying a railway signal box McGlynn said: "They're people who just go around and check coordinates, who send things through encrypted special bots. "There's a base here is at this location, or we're seeing a lot of equipment going here, and then the Ukrainians can use that for drone attacks. "That's similar to the way that the French resistance helped with knowing where the German defences were ahead of D-Day - that information targeting [role]." Other groups, such as the Freedom of Russia Legion, are more militant and fight Russia directly. This provides the SBU with agents on the ground inside Russia who can carry out attacks, recruit Russians to do their bidding, and provide key information. Vlad's 'doomed bridge' While Spiderweb was carried out with flying kamikaze drones, the SBU has also pioneered the use of sea drones. They've rendered Vlad's Black Sea fleet useless after destroying 11 Russian ships - including the flagship Moskva - with the unmanned water vehicles. Ukraine has also repeatedly bombed Putin's beloved £3b bridge crossing the Kerch Strait. The tyrant built the span after he annexed Crimea in 2014 and it is key for linking the peninsular with Russia. But to Ukraine it represents Putin's imperialism. A sabotage attack in October 2022 saw Ukraine cause part of the span to collapse after spies placed a bomb on a truck. 14 Ukraine bombed Putin's beloved bridge in 2022 Credit: AP 14 A helicopter drops water to extinguish fuel tanks ablaze on the Kerch bridge following the blast Credit: Reuters 14 Russia arrested five of its own citizens as well as three others and accused them of organising the attack. But it's not just human intelligence the SBU deals with - they have attacked the bridge several other times with sea-based drones. Known as Sea Baby drones, the water-based vehicles have caused havoc to Russia. Two Sea Baby's packed with 850kg of explosives each tore apart a section of the stretch in 2023. Why have Ukraine spies beat Russians? Ambassador John Herbst - who was Washington DC's man in the country between 2003 and 2006 - said Ukraine's spies had been allowed to innovate. In Russia, decision-making is centralised and bureaucratic but in Ukraine officers are given more freedom, he said. Herbst said: "Ukrainian ingenuity has been a regular feature of this war, not to mention the fact that they not only surprised Putin, but they surprised the entire US. "It's very clear that the Ukrainians are operating pretty easily and exceptionally, effectively across Russia." But Herbst said as much as cultural differences mattered - so did similarities. One factor benefiting Ukraine is how familiar they are with Russia - having been a member of the Soviet Union. Their cultural links and shared history meant that Ukrainian spies know how to work inside Russia, deal with Russian civilians, and understand the army. He said: "This is the flip side of something the entire world has been talking about since Ukraine emerged as an independent country, which is the fact that the Russians have had great success in planting agents in Ukrainian intelligence agencies and co-opting those agencies. "Parts of the Ukrainian elite were junior partners [in the Soviet elite] which gave Ukrainian great insight, better insight than we have, into how the Soviet Union operated, and how Russia still operates."
The Sun
13 minutes ago
- The Sun
Meet Ukraine's special ops unit wiping out Putin's war machine from bomber blitz to £3bn bridge… & what they'll hit next
DEEP behind enemy lines, Ukraine's special ops unit marked a turning point in modern warfare after drones blitzed Vladimir Putin's prized bombers beyond repair. Ukraine's Security Service - the SBU - is wiping out the Russian tyrant's war machine with stunning success. 14 14 14 14 On Sunday, the SBU's Operation Spiderweb destroyed a third of Putin's nuclear bomber fleet. It set a new high point for Ukraine's spies - showing incredible ingenuity, reach, and coordination inside a hostile country. The SBU, led by Vasyl Malyuk, carried out the attack and has proved itself to be one of the best agencies in the world. Over the three years of the war, the SBU has repeatedly assassinated commanders, bombed key sites, and attacked Putin's beloved bridge in Crimea. Despite Russia being larger, stronger, and holding the cards at the start of the war - it is Ukraine who has carried out a string of daring sabotage attacks. Experts told The Sun why they think Ukraine and the SBU has been able to pull off these attacks - and what they could strike next. Best spies in Europe Former MI6 intelligence officer Matthew Dunn said Spiderweb showed the SBU were the best spies in Europe. He said: "Being an intelligence officer, there's no static, fixed rule book about what one does." One question the world has been left asking is how Ukraine managed to get the drones inside Russia. The bestselling spy novelist and podcast host at SafeHouse Productions said there is no clear answer. He said: "The commanders involved in this at high level, they would have been very open-minded about how to get these drones into the country." Dunn said SBU spies could have smuggled drones over the border on foot, via parachute, or even a raft - whatever was the safest and easiest way. He said: "The intelligence operation and the officers involved would have been as creative as possible. "The issue is, the more people you involve... the higher the risk of compromise. "Sometimes with these kind of things, risky and daring as they can be, sometimes simplicity is the answer." Dunne thinks the stunning success of Spiderweb means the SBU will only continue being pragmatic and open-minded. 14 14 14 Dunne said: "The [Spiderweb] punch to Russia is [the SBU] saying, 'we're not giving up, and this is our reach. This is what we can do'." He said the SBU would choose their victims on a "case by case" basis as it continues to cripple the Russian war machine. That's bad news for Putin - who will likely only going to see more goons assassinated, infrastructure attacked, and his beloved Crimea bridge bombed. And foreign intelligence agencies will be watching and trying to figure out the SBU's methods. Russians as spies Dr Jade McGlynn said the SBU uses civilians to sabotage Russia in the exact same way Vlad does to the West. The expert in Ukraine's resistance fighters at King's College London said she expected apathetic and bribed Russians to have played "at least some role" in Sunday's attack. McGlynn believes Ukraine targeted Russians who didn't care for their country or the invasion and needed a bit of spare cash. 14 She said: "We keep on seeing this outsourcing, where they'll [Ukraine's spies] pay random people, maybe lure them in, they know they [Russian civilians] need a bit of money, and then they'll try and bomb a shopping center." Russian bloggers accused Ukraine's spies of hiring Russian lorry drivers to get the shipping crates into position next to the air bases. Lorry drivers reportedly said they received instructions from an "Artem" and had no idea what was in the containers they transported. Ukraine later released footage of the containers starting their journeys - as drivers took the vehicles to their fateful destinations. Eyes and ears On the ground, Putin is also battling to stop partisans, groups of militants, inside Russia who oppose his rule. He's fighting against both Ukrainians caught behind the front line and Russians who hate Putin. McGlynn said it was hard to know exactly how big resistance groups are, how many of them there are, and what exactly they do given the secrecy involved. But she warned that some are the "eyes and ears" of Ukrainian intelligence in Russia. 14 14 McGlynn said: "They're people who just go around and check coordinates, who send things through encrypted special bots. "There's a base here is at this location, or we're seeing a lot of equipment going here, and then the Ukrainians can use that for drone attacks. "That's similar to the way that the French resistance helped with knowing where the German defences were ahead of D-Day - that information targeting [role]." Other groups, such as the Freedom of Russia Legion, are more militant and fight Russia directly. This provides the SBU with agents on the ground inside Russia who can carry out attacks, recruit Russians to do their bidding, and provide key information. Vlad's 'doomed bridge' While Spiderweb was carried out with flying kamikaze drones, the SBU has also pioneered the use of sea drones. They've rendered Vlad's Black Sea fleet useless after destroying 11 Russian ships - including the flagship Moskva - with the unmanned water vehicles. Ukraine has also repeatedly bombed Putin's beloved £3b bridge crossing the Kerch Strait. The tyrant built the span after he annexed Crimea in 2014 and it is key for linking the peninsular with Russia. But to Ukraine it represents Putin's imperialism. A sabotage attack in October 2022 saw Ukraine cause part of the span to collapse after spies placed a bomb on a truck. 14 14 14 Russia arrested five of its own citizens as well as three others and accused them of organising the attack. But it's not just human intelligence the SBU deals with - they have attacked the bridge several other times with sea-based drones. Known as Sea Baby drones, the water-based vehicles have caused havoc to Russia. Two Sea Baby's packed with 850kg of explosives each tore apart a section of the stretch in 2023. Why have Ukraine spies beat Russians? Ambassador John Herbst - who was Washington DC's man in the country between 2003 and 2006 - said Ukraine's spies had been allowed to innovate. In Russia, decision-making is centralised and bureaucratic but in Ukraine officers are given more freedom, he said. Herbst said: "Ukrainian ingenuity has been a regular feature of this war, not to mention the fact that they not only surprised Putin, but they surprised the entire US. "It's very clear that the Ukrainians are operating pretty easily and exceptionally, effectively across Russia." But Herbst said as much as cultural differences mattered - so did similarities. One factor benefiting Ukraine is how familiar they are with Russia - having been a member of the Soviet Union. Their cultural links and shared history meant that Ukrainian spies know how to work inside Russia, deal with Russian civilians, and understand the army. He said: "This is the flip side of something the entire world has been talking about since Ukraine emerged as an independent country, which is the fact that the Russians have had great success in planting agents in Ukrainian intelligence agencies and co-opting those agencies. "Parts of the Ukrainian elite were junior partners [in the Soviet elite] which gave Ukrainian great insight, better insight than we have, into how the Soviet Union operated, and how Russia still operates." Inside Operation Spiderweb By James Halpin, Foreign News Reporter Ukraine's shock sleeper drone blitz on Russia's bomber fleet has delivered a hammer blow to Vladimir Putin's nuclear arsenal. The SAS-style strike against four airfields deep inside Russia is reminiscent of the most daring raids of the WW2 that turned the tide against the Nazis. Volodymyr Zelensky oversaw Operation Spiderweb - much like Winston Churchill did as Britain struck deep behind enemy lines. The Ukrainian said: "It's genuinely satisfying when something I authorized a year and six months ago comes to fruition and deprives Russians of over forty units of strategic aviation. "We will continue this work." Putin's doomsday bomber fleet is now crippled with 41, or a third, of his most prized aircraft lying in smouldering wrecks on tarmac. Ukraine said the sneak attack was worth $7bn (£5.2bn) in damage to Russia - caused by only 117 cheaply made drones. Like Israel's mass pager sabotage against Hezbollah, Kyiv has rewritten the rule book in how to strike the heart of their enemy. Ukraine's spies spent 18 months putting the plan into action and struck on the eve of fresh peace talks in Istanbul.
The Herald Scotland
16 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Musk turns on Trump, and GOP spending can't hide behind DOGE
Musk seems frustrated that Republicans used him in their charade to balance the federal budget, frustrated that Trump used him for his own end. But he really should be frustrated that he was so gullible - because he should have seen all of this coming. Opinion: Musk erupts, claims Trump is in the Epstein files. Who could've seen this coming? I'm frustrated that this is the only thing receiving attention, considering the amount of work that needs to be done with the budget. Republicans used Elon Musk as a political smokescreen Whether Musk genuinely believed himself when he promised to cut $2 trillion (before quickly tempering that estimate) is up for debate. If he did believe it, he was entirely naive about both the current state of the Republican Party and our federal government. Republicans thought they could use Musk as a political win and distraction, allowing him to claw back government spending through the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, while congressional Republicans authorized massive deficit increases. Even after accounting for the economic growth that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act would stimulate, it's projected to add $2.4 trillion (yes, with a T) to the federal deficit over the next decade. This figure stands as a mountain next to the small pile of $2 billion (yes, with a B) worth of verifiable budget cuts from DOGE. All the while, Republicans and Trump sang Musk's praises, knowing that they would turn around and spend money that we don't have. But Musk should have realized it was all a show. Trump skyrocketed the deficit in his first presidency, and every promise he's ever given for a balanced budget has been a lie. As much as MAGA likes to claim otherwise, Trump's GOP is no different than the swamp creatures they like to criticize. Opinion: Elon Musk is frustrated with Republicans wasting DOGE's effort to cut. So am I. Those who are actually interested in cutting government spending, which I think Musk at least somewhat seems to be, should not attach the idea to political parties because they will inevitably disappoint. There hasn't been a genuine effort to produce a balanced budget since the late 1990s, and there isn't likely to be from either Republicans or Democrats anytime soon. Trump and Musk have too big personalities to work together I'm not the least bit surprised that these two narcissists' relationship flamed out so quickly. There was never enough room in Trump's White House for both his and Musk's personalities. Trump has never maintained an extended relationship with somebody who is willing to disagree with him publicly. During his first term, Trump had extremely high personnel turnover rates, both among his Cabinet and his aides. Trump's "you're fired" catchphrase really says a lot about his approach to relationships. He is quick to turn on people who disagree with him or even just publicly embarrass him. Musk has been loudly advocating against Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" for its impact on the deficit. After a week of Musk criticizing the deficit spending in Trump's bill, the president has clearly had enough. He cannot tolerate a dissenting voice from within his ranks. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. Trump and the GOP are now likely to kick a powerful ally to the curb, all because Trump is so vain that he cannot handle differing opinions. This is why the Republican Party is now made up of yes-men, because they have allowed Trump to push all the spine that he can out of the party. Now that the sideshow of Musk is gone, Republicans have one less thing to hide behind. I'm not sure that makes it any more likely they'll act responsibly, but at least it's more transparent to Americans now. Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.
