US senator threatens Russia with ‘bone-crushing’ sanctions

Lindsey Graham says he has wide Senate backing for a bill that includes 500% tariffs on countries buying key Russian exports

US Senator Lindsey Graham has claimed broad Senate support for a bill that would enact “bone-crushing” new sanctions on Russia and impose steep tariffs on countries purchasing its key exports. Graham told reporters on Wednesday that his goal is to support President Donald Trump in negotiations with Russia over a potential Ukraine settlement.

The US imposed extensive sanctions on Moscow since the conflict with Kiev escalated in 2022, targeting financial institutions, trade, and energy exports. While Trump has expressed a desire for mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia, he has also threatened to increase pressure on Moscow, including through sanctions, if he believes it is not negotiating in good faith over Ukraine.

Russia has consistently criticized Western sanctions, calling them illegal, and maintained that they have failed to inflict lasting economic damage. Moscow has also expressed a willingness to resolve the conflict and announced a unilateral three-day ceasefire during Victory Day celebnrations. Kiev, however, rebuked the offer, instead demanding an immediate unconditional 30-day truce.

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“The goal is to help the president… He talked about being frustrated,” Graham told reporters, as cited by Bloomberg. In a post on Truth Social earlier this week, Trump suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin might not want to stop the war, is “just tapping me along” and may need to be “dealt with differently, through banking or secondary sanctions.”

According to Bloomberg, Graham’s bill includes a ban on US citizens purchasing Russian sovereign debt and a 500% tariff on imports from countries that buy Russian oil, petroleum products, natural gas, and uranium. Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, claimed he has secured the commitment of 72 Senators for his bill, from both parties, and enough support in the House of Representatives to bring it to the floor.

“I want a negotiated end to the war, honorably and just. I think Trump’s the best person to achieve that goal, but these sanctions represent the Senate’s view that we see the primary bad guy being Russia,” the senator stated, calling the bill “a tool in President Trump’s toolbox.”

“When President Trump believes that we’ve reached an impasse, then watch for action,” Graham stated, warning that the measures, if enacted, would “crush” the Russian economy.

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The White House did not respond to a Bloomberg request for comment on Graham’s claims. The senator, a veteran foreign policy hawk, has previously called the killing of Russians by Ukrainian troops “the best money” the US had ever spent.