Threatening India, China, and Brazil of “100 per cent tariffs” that will be imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump for buying oil from Russia, US Senator Lindsey Graham warned the countries of an economic fallout for continuing to maintain trade ties with Russia.
“You’ve played Trump at your own peril,” said Graham during an interview with a US-based media network, in which he hit out at America’s trading partners amidst his country’s face-off with Russia for its invasion of Ukraine since 2022.
India, China, and Brazil account for nearly 80 per cent of Russia’s crude oil purchases, which, according to Graham, directly fund Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war.
Justifying the sanctions as a method “to choke off the financial support enabling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”, Graham challenged Putin for making a “major league mistake”.
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“The game has changed when it comes to you, President Putin. You have played President Trump at your own peril. You made a major league mistake and your economy is going to continue to be crushed,” he thundered.
The senator went on to add to his hard-hitting warning: “Here's what I would tell China, India and Brazil: If you keep buying cheap Russian oil to allow this war to continue, we’re going to tear up the hell out of you and we’re going to crush your economy, because what you’re doing is blood money.”
Graham’s interview was clearly no-holds-barred, as he went on to threaten the countries of a “whooping on your ass” by Trump, likening the President to golf champ Scottie Scheffler.
“Trump is the Scottie Scheffler of American politics and foreign diplomacy, and he’s about to put a whooping on your ass,” Graham said.
India, China face ire for buying Russian oil at discounted rates
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022, led to the West sanctioning the country heavily. Russia then started offering its neighbours crude oil at discounted prices, which China and India took advantage of. It also maintained trade ties with Brazil, despite it being a smaller counsumer.
Even as Trump’s administration remains engaged in tariff negotiations with a multitude of countries, including India, China, Pakistan, and various others from Southeast Asia, Graham’s statements are being viewed as a preview of the Trump administration’s next big foreign policy escalation, especially after his warnings to the BRICS nations following their summit in Brazil earlier this month.
Confirms more weapons for Ukraine
The US Senator also confirmed in his interview that the US will continue weaponising soldiers in Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Graham also commented on the US’s support for Israel in its strikes against Iran, saying Israel had “significantly weakened Tehran’s infrastructure” and further ruffled feathers by calling Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei a “religious Nazi”.
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