Latest news with #Lindsey Graham
National Post
15-07-2025
- Business
- National Post
Adam Zivo: Trump finally realizes Putin was playing him
Having grown disillusioned with Russia, U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that he will expand arms shipments to Ukraine and tariff Moscow's trading partners if no peace deal is signed by September. While this is a welcome development, Trump should've seen through the Kremlin's lies much earlier, and the depth of his foreign policy pivot remains unclear. Article content Article content The new armament strategy will allow NATO members to purchase American weapons at scale for donation to Kyiv. While Trump has said that these weapons will be 'top-of-the-line,' he has yet to specify what exactly will be provided, beyond Patriot missiles that can protect Ukrainian cities from Russia's ever-worsening terror bombings. Article content Article content Additionally, Trump said that he will impose 100 per cent tariffs upon Russia's trading partners if Moscow does not sign a peace deal within the next 50 days. His ability to impose these tariffs, at his discretion, would be granted by a bipartisan bill championed by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, which reportedly already has overwhelming support within the U.S. Senate. Article content Article content Trump's newfound enthusiasm for arming Ukraine, and his burgeoning antipathy towards Russia, is a major pivot for both himself and his administration. Earlier this year, Trump spent months vilifying Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he blamed for the war's continuation, while winding down support for Kyiv. Meanwhile, Russia was inexplicably exempted from the United States' reciprocal tariffs, which punished most of America's traditional allies, as top White House officials rhapsodized about expanding economic cooperation with Moscow. Article content
Times of Oman
15-07-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
"Fueling Putin's war machine": US Senators say penalise India, China, Brazil with 500% tarriff to deter trade with Russia
Washington DC [US]: Amid US President Donald Trump call for imposing 100 per cent "secondary tariffs" on Moscow if Russian President Vladimir Putin fails to end the conflict in Ukraine within 50 days, Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal have warned countries, including India, of economic sanctions if they continue business with Russia. South Carolina Republican Senator Graham and Democratic Senator Bluementhal are leading 85 cosponsors on a bipartisan bill they introduced in Congress earlier this year calling for implementing sanctions on Moscow, which they say could be a "sledgehammer" President Trump needs to end the conflict. "We'll continue to push for Senator Graham & my Russia Sanctions bill with even tougher penalties to deter India, China, Brazil & others from fueling Putin's war machine. Congressional action sends a powerful message of support," Richard Bluementhal said in a post on his social media handle X. As per a joint statement by Graham and Blumenthal, China, India, and Brazil and other nations "that prop up Putin's war machine" by purchasing "cheap Russian oil and gas", which that claim is fuelling Putin's effort in the conflict with Russia. It called for the imposition of tariffs as high as 500 per cent on any country that helps Russia. Trump announced "secondary tariffs" on Russia during his meeting with NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte on Monday (US local time). Democratic Senator Blumenthal, in a post, lauded the US President's decision, calling it a "breakthrough step" while slamming Putin by calling him a "thug". He further called for pushing the bill, "Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025", introduced by him and Senator Graham on April 1, noting that the bill will impose "tougher penalties to deter India, China, Brazil" and other countries that are still in business with Moscow. "The President's announcement is a breakthrough step--committing to both substantial military aid & strong sanctions. It recognizes the urgency of showing sledgehammer strength--because peace through strength is the only viable strategy with a thug like Putin," Blumenthal post on X read A joint statement by Graham and Blumenthal noted that Trump's announcement was a strong executive measure to push all parties toward negotiations with the true aim to compel Putin to engage in peace talks. "The ultimate hammer to bring about the end of this war will be tariffs against countries, like China, India and Brazil, that prop up Putin's war machine by purchasing cheap Russian oil and gas. President Trump's decision to announce the implementation of 100 percent secondary tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas if a peace agreement is not reached in the next 50 days is a real executive hammer to drive the parties to the negotiating table. The goal is not more tariffs and sanctions - the goal is to entice Putin to come to the peace table," the statement read. "Finally, as President Trump indicated, we will join our colleagues in continuing to work with the White House on our bipartisan Russia sanctions legislation that would implement up to 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas and do not help Ukraine," it said. Trump, during his meeting with the NATO chief, stated that he was "very unhappy" with Russia and announced the imposition of the 100 per cent tariffs on Russia if a peace deal wasn't made within 50 days. "One of the reasons that you're here today is to hear that we are very unhappy - I am - with Russia. But we will discuss that maybe another day. But we're very, very unhappy with them, and we're going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don't have a deal in 50 days. Tariffs at about 100 percent. You'd call them secondary tariffs. But today, we're going to talk about something else," Trump had said. Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that the Indian embassy and ambassador have been in touch with Senator Graham regarding the bill on Russia and that "India will have to cross that bridge if it comes to it." Addressing a press conference, Jaishankar had stated that India's concerns and interests on energy and security have been made conversant to Graham. When asked about US plans to impose a 500 per cent tariff on the import of Russian oil, Jaishankar said, "Regarding Senator Lindsey Graham's bill, any development which is happening in the US Congress is of interest to us if it impacts our interest or could impact our interest. So we have been in touch with Senator Lindsey Graham. The embassy, ambassador have been in touch. Our concerns and our interests on energy, security have been made conversant to him. So we'll then have to cross that bridge when we come to it. If we come to it."
