Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a major proponent of increased sanctions on Moscow and its allies, signaled Saturday that he supported President Trump’s decision to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Invoking former President Ronald Reagan’s summit with former Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev before the end of the Cold War and subsequent fall of the Soviet Union, Graham said he was “confident” in Trump.
“I’m confident President Trump will walk away – like Reagan – if Putin insists on a bad deal,” the South Carolina Republican wrote on social platform X. “Good luck, Mr. President, in your efforts to end this brutal war.”
“The world should be pulling for you. I know I am,” he added.
The remarks follow Trump’s announcement Friday that he would meet with the Russian leader in Alaska next week to discuss ending the more than three-year-long war in Ukraine.
The president is proposing that the Eastern European nations swap territory in an effort to fast track a peace deal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited to the upcoming summit, has rejected the idea and urged the U.S. to give Kyiv a seat at the table.
Trump also brushed off reports that he wanted Putin and Zelensky to speak first.
“He would like to meet with me,” he told reporters Friday, adding, “and I’ll do whatever I can to stop the killing.”
The highly anticipated conversation also comes as criticism mounts following Trump’s unfulfilled threat to hit Russia with new sanctions. The president originally gave Putin about 50-days to accept terms for a ceasefire but later shortened the timeline as the Kremlin continued to strike Ukraine.
Trump has, however, announced up to 50 percent tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil, a move that has seemingly only pushed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi closer to Russia. The secondary sanctions were part of a bipartisan measure led by Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) aiming to defund Russia’s war machine.
“Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier this month, but did not issue similar sanctions on China, who is also a major trading partner with Moscow.
Lawmakers have largely left the implementation of sanctions in Trump’s hands. Graham on Saturday pushed back on critics, lauding Trump for being willing to speak with Putin directly before imposing financial restrictions.
“To those who criticize President Trump for being willing to meet with Putin to end the bloodbath in Ukraine — remember Reagan met with Gorbachev to try to end the Cold War,” the senator wrote.
Amid the president’s trade restrictions, Putin has touted strong relationships with Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Putin and Modi recently spoke via phone and touted their alliance.
“Had a very good and detailed conversation with my friend President 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,” Modi wrote on X. “I look forward to hosting President Putin in India later this year.”
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