Senate Leader Lindsey Graham Warns of Escalating Measures Against Russia

Senate Republican Lindsey Graham has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of engaging in disingenuous peace talks, comparing the effort to Lucy pulling the football away from Charlie Brown. “So here’s what I think: We’re going to be Lucy with the football if we don’t watch it,” Graham stated in an interview.

Graham emphasized that U.S. efforts to engage Russia have been rebuffed by Putin, who shows no genuine willingness to end the war despite recent suggestions of openness to negotiations. “We’ve made great progress between Ukraine, Europe, and the United States to come up with a proposal that would end the war,” Graham noted, “but I want security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent a third invasion.”

The senator urged President Donald Trump to adopt a “peace through strength” approach if Putin rejects further talks. This includes imposing tariffs on nations that purchase Russian oil, designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism for alleged kidnappings of Ukrainian citizens, and seizing vessels carrying sanctioned Russian oil—a tactic currently applied in Venezuela. Graham also called for immediate delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine to target Russian drone and missile production facilities.

Graham warned that without increased pressure, Putin will continue using force to seize territories like Donbas, undermining any potential peace agreement. “I think we’re overestimating Putin’s willingness to end the war,” he said, adding that European troops on the ground would be necessary to deter a third invasion.