Washington [US], August 9 (ANI): US Senator Lindsey Graham on Friday urged India to use its influence with Russia to help end the war in Ukraine, calling it one of the most significant steps to improve India-US relations.
“As I have been telling my friends in India, one of the most consequential things they could do to improve India-U.S. relations is to help President Trump end this bloodbath in Ukraine,” Graham said in a post on X. He noted that “India is the second-largest purchaser of Putin’s cheap oil — the proceeds of which fuel his war machine.”
“I hope Prime Minister Modi emphasized to Putin in their recent phone call the need to end this war in Ukraine justly, honorably, and forever,” he added. “I have always believed India has influence in this matter, and I am hoping they will use it wisely,” Graham said.
The remarks came on the same day Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had a “very good and detailed” conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I thanked him for sharing the latest developments on Ukraine. We also reviewed the progress in our bilateral agenda and reaffirmed our commitment to further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. I look forward to hosting President Putin in India later this year,” Modi said in a post on X.
The development comes amid US President Donald Trump’s call for imposing 100 percent “secondary tariffs” on Moscow if Russian President Vladimir Putin fails to end the conflict in Ukraine within 50 days. Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal have also warned countries, including India, of economic sanctions if they continue business with Russia.
South Carolina Republican Senator Graham and Democratic Senator Blumenthal are leading 85 cosponsors on a bipartisan bill introduced earlier this year calling for sanctions on Moscow, which they say could be the “sledgehammer” President Trump needs to end the conflict.
“We’ll continue to push for Senator Graham and my Russia sanctions bill with even tougher penalties to deter India, China, Brazil, and others from fueling Putin’s war machine. Congressional action sends a powerful message of support,” Blumenthal said in a post on X.
In a joint statement, Graham and Blumenthal said China, India, Brazil, and other nations “that prop up Putin’s war machine” by purchasing “cheap Russian oil and gas” are fueling his war effort. They called for tariffs as high as 500 percent on any country that helps Russia.
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