Lindsey Graham has said he will propose new restrictions if Moscow does not engage in peace talks on the Ukraine conflict
US Senator Lindsey Graham has warned that he will propose new sanctions against Russia if Moscow does not engage in ceasefire negotiations over the Ukraine conflict in the near future.
The US has already imposed extensive sanctions on Moscow since the conflict with Kiev escalated in 2022, targeting financial institutions, trade, and energy exports. However, President Donald Trump has suggested that the restrictions should be used as leverage and potentially lifted in order to achieve peace.
Speaking with Fox News on Sunday, Graham, a Republican from South Carolina and prominent hawk, suggested that Washington should introduce even more sanctions on Moscow.
“If they don’t engage in ceasefire and peace talks with the administration, we should sanction the hell out of them, and I’ll have legislation to do that next week,” Graham said.
The senator has been a long-time proponent of extensive military and financial aid to Ukraine and has publicly characterized the conflict as a US-led proxy war against Russia. He had previously called the killing of Russians by Ukrainian troops “the best money” the US had ever spent.
Graham has criticized the recent pause in intelligence sharing and weapons transfers to Ukraine, arguing that stopping US assistance would have serious consequences. “If we pull the plug on Ukraine, it’d be worse than Afghanistan,” he said.
The Republican also reiterated his criticism of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, saying he “blew it” during his recent White House meeting with Trump, where he was accused of disrespecting the Oval Office and “gambling with World War III” by refusing to seek peace.
After the heated exchange with Trump and US Vice President J.D. Vance, Zelensky was asked to leave the White House and return only when ready for serious negotiations. Trump has since halted military aid to Ukraine and suspended all intelligence sharing with Kiev.
Last week, Trump also threatened Moscow with a new round of “large-scale” sanctions until a Ukraine ceasefire is reached. However, Reuters later reported that Washington is also exploring ways to ease some restrictions on Russia’s energy sector as part of a broader peace initiative.
Russia has consistently maintained that Western sanctions have failed to inflict lasting damage on its economy, calling them illegal and ineffective in altering its strategic decisions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Moscow remains open to negotiations but insists any settlement must guarantee long-term security for Russia. “We don’t want anything that belongs to others, but we won’t give up what’s ours,” Putin said in a recent statement.
