“What I learned on this trip was he’s preparing for more war,” Graham said of Putin.
“We’re going to hit China and India for propping up his war machine.” Peace talks or stalling tactic?
… He’s preparing for more war.” Trump has yet to endorse the sanctions bill, telling reporters Friday: “I don’t know.
If Putin isn’t stopped in Ukraine, Blumenthal said, NATO treaty obligations could one day compel American troops into battle.
“This visit has been a breakthrough moment because President Macron has shown moral clarity in his conversations with us,” Blumenthal said.
PARIS (AP) — According to two senior U.S. officials, Russian President Vladimir Putin is negotiating a new military offensive in Ukraine while stalling at the peace table. S. . The next two weeks could determine the course of a war that has already destroyed cities, uprooted millions, and altered the security landscape of Europe, senators cautioned on Sunday.
Sen. Democratic Senator Lindsey Graham. After meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and touring neighborhoods devastated by what they described as the worst Russian bombardments since the full-scale invasion started, Richard Blumenthal spoke to The Associated Press in Paris.
The senators, who are in Paris for discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron, who they claim is “100 percent aligned” with them on the war, warned that the window for a renewed attack is closing.
A wide U. S. . They stated that the sanctions bill might be the last opportunity for the West to stifle the Kremlin’s war economy. They also expressed hope that their firsthand observations would change the tide in Washington and persuade President Donald Trump to support the measure.
Regarding Putin, Graham remarked, “I discovered during this trip that he is getting ready for more war.”. Blumenthal described the proposed legislation’s sanctions as “bone-crushing” and claimed that they would put Russia’s economy “on a trade island.”. “.”.
“Russia is launching a new offensive, and it is a critical moment for Putin and the world,” he stated.
They are pushing for a bipartisan sanctions bill that has the support of almost all U.S. S. Senate, but the situation in Washington is still unclear. It would target countries like China and India, which make up about 70% of Russia’s energy trade and provide funding for a large portion of its war effort, by imposing 500% tariffs on those that continue to purchase Russian gas, oil, uranium, and other exports.
Graham referred to it as “the most draconian bill I’ve ever seen in the Senate.”. “”.
He asserted that there are numerous strategies the world can employ to counter Putin. “China and India will be held accountable for supporting his war machine.”. “.”.
Stall tactics or peace talks?
Since Trump’s strategy toward Ukraine is so unclear and peace negotiations are producing few results, Graham and Blumenthal have filled the void as frank messengers on a solitary mission. The moral urgency of two men attempting to stop another Russian attack before it’s too late is driving these political opposites across Europe and the aisle in unison.
Resuming peace talks in Istanbul is set for Monday. Moscow has not yet made a substantive proposal, according to Ukrainian officials, a delay that both senators characterized as dangerous and intentional.
Blumenthal claimed that Putin was impersonating President Trump. He’s trying to fool him. According to the senator, Putin “is essentially stalling and stonewalling, extending the discussion in order to launch this offensive and seize additional ground on the ground.”. “.”.
READ MORE: The most recent direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul come to a swift conclusion.
Graham went on: “We saw solid evidence of a new Putin offensive, an invasion in the summer or early fall. He’s getting ready for another conflict. “”.
“I don’t know,” Trump told reporters on Friday, indicating that he has not yet endorsed the sanctions bill. I will have to witness it. Trump’s advisors were consulted during the drafting of the legislation, according to Graham.
“By trying to engage — by being friendly and enticing — it’s become painfully clear that he’s not interested in ending this war,” Graham said, despite supporting the president’s diplomatic instincts. “.”.
Blumenthal expressed the hope that the Senate’s bipartisan support for Ukraine, along with the personal testimonies they intend to bring home to Congress and the White House, would help change the conversation.
He said of Putin, “He must see and hear that message from us, from the American people.”.
An ethical reckoning.
The senators in Kyiv stated that it was impossible to overlook the human cost of the conflict. Graham called the return of the nearly 20,000 children who were forcibly deported to Russia a matter of justice rather than diplomacy, citing estimates from Yale researchers and Ukrainian officials.
In Bucha, Blumenthal recounted witnessing mass grave sites where civilians were shot in the head to end their lives. He claimed that the devastation and the testimonies of those who survived demonstrated the seriousness of the delay. “Putin is a criminal.”. He is a murderer. “”.
Both warned that if nothing is done now, the U.S. A. further into the conflict afterwards. According to Blumenthal, NATO treaty obligations may eventually force American troops into combat if Putin is not stopped in Ukraine.
In Europe, they perceive resolve.
Following an hour-long meeting with Macron in Paris, Blumenthal of Connecticut and Graham of South Carolina said they departed with a sense that Europe was prepared to take a more assertive stand.
“President Macron has demonstrated moral clarity in his conversations with us, which has made this visit a breakthrough moment,” Blumenthal said. We are returning to Washington with a message that he fully supports today. “”.
Blumenthal cited the sanctions bill’s unusual bipartisan support. “Very few causes will unite 41 Republicans and 41 Democrats on a single piece of legislation,” he stated. “Ukraine is doing it for its cause. “.”.
A sanctions vote may be held after Ukrainian military leaders brief Congress.
Graham stated, “President Trump stated that we will know in two weeks if he is being strung along.”. More proof of that will come from Russia on Monday. “.”.
