Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin “can’t tolerate” going “after his customers” ahead of an Alaska meeting between Putin and President Trump.
“Putin could give a damn about sanctions. He evades them. He could give a damn about how many Russians die. The one thing that he can’t tolerate and live with, if we go after his customers,” Graham told NBC News’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press.”
“The whole goal is to crush his customers, India, and China, and Brazil. That if you keep buying Putin’s oil and prop up his war machine, you will be denied access to our economy. This is a new strategy. Trump is all in, in terms of going after Putin’s customers if we can’t end this well. Without oil and gas revenue, Russia collapses,” the South Carolina senator added.
In his first few months back in office, Trump and his administration have pushed for an end to the war in Ukraine with no luck.
Trump said last week he will meet with Putin in Alaska next Friday, hosting him for talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
“The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska. Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
Last Wednesday, Trump announced he would raise tariffs on India by 25 percent because of its buying of Russian oil, bringing the total tariffs the president has placed on the Southeast Asian country to 50 percent.
The president signed an executive order authorizing the tariff raise, though it does not go into effect for close to a month. The 25 percent increase also comes alongside a 25 percent “reciprocal” tariff Trump recently announced on India.
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