Russian President Vladimir Putin is delaying at the peace table while preparing a new military offensive in Ukraine, warned two U.S. senators on Sunday, arguing that the next two weeks could define the future of a war that has already destroyed cities, displaced millions, and redrawn the map of European security.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal spoke to The Associated Press in Paris after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and touring neighborhoods devastated by what they described as the worst Russian bombings since the war began. In Paris for discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron—who, according to them, is ‘100% aligned’ with their stance in the war—the senators warned that the window to prevent a new assault is closing. A U.S. sanctions bill could be the West’s last opportunity to suffocate the Kremlin’s war economy, they stated. ‘What I learned on this trip was that he is preparing for more war,’ said Graham regarding Putin. Blumenthal characterized the proposed sanctions in the legislation as ‘crushing’ and affirmed that they would place the Russian economy ‘on a trade island.’
«It is a crucial moment for Putin and for the world because Russia is launching a new offensive,» he said. At the center of this push is a bipartisan sanctions bill, backed by almost the entire U.S. Senate but still facing uncertain odds in Washington. The bill would impose 500% tariffs on countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas, uranium, and other exports, targeting nations like China and India, which account for about 70% of Russia’s energy trade and finance much of its war effort. Graham said it is ‘the most draconian bill I have seen in my life in the Senate.’ ‘The world has many cards to play against Putin,’ he said. ‘We are going to hit China and India for supporting his war machine.’
Peace talks or a delaying tactic? The peace talks are scheduled to resume on Monday in Istanbul. However, Ukrainian officials state that Moscow has yet to present a serious proposal, a delay that both senators have described as deliberate and dangerous.
«Putin is playing with President Trump,» Blumenthal said. «He is taking him for a fool.» The senator asserted that Putin «is, in fact, stalling and obstructing, prolonging the conversation to stage this offensive and gain control of more territory on the ground.»Graham added: «We saw credible evidence of an invasion in the summer or early fall, a new offensive by Putin… He is preparing for more war.»President Donald Trump has yet to endorse the sanctions bill, telling reporters on Friday: «I don’t know. I’ll have to take a look at it.» Graham stated that the legislation was drafted in consultation with Trump’s advisors. Graham supported the president’s diplomatic instincts but added that «in trying to engage Putin, by being friendly and appealing, it has become painfully clear that he is not interested in ending this war.»
Blumenthal hoped that bipartisan support for Ukraine, at least in the Senate, along with the personal testimonies they plan to bring to Congress and the Oval Office, would help change the conversation. «He needs to see and hear that message from us as well, from the American people,» he said regarding Putin. A moral reckoning. In Kyiv, the senators stated that the human cost of the war was impossible to ignore. Graham pointed out what Ukrainian officials and Yale researchers estimate to be almost 20,000 children who have been forcibly deported to Russia, and they view their return as a matter of justice, not diplomacy. Blumenthal described visiting mass grave sites in Bucha, where civilians were executed with gunshots to the head. The destruction, he said, along with the stories of those who survived, made it clear what is at stake with the delays. «Putin is a bully. He is a murderer.»
Both said that not acting now could drag the United States deeper into the conflict in the future. If Putin is not stopped in Ukraine, Blumenthal stated, NATO treaty obligations could one day compel U.S. troops to engage in combat.
They see determination in Europe. After a one-hour meeting with Macron in Paris, both Graham from South Carolina and Blumenthal from Connecticut expressed that they left convinced that Europe was ready to harden its stance.»This visit has been a breakthrough moment because President Macron has shown moral clarity in his conversations with us,» Blumenthal said. «Today, he is 100% aligned with the message we are bringing back to Washington.
«Blumenthal pointed to the rare bipartisan unity behind the sanctions bill. «There are very few causes that will bring 41 Republicans and 41 Democrats together on a single piece of legislation,» he said. «The cause of Ukraine does that.»
In front, the Ukrainian military leaders are prepared to report to Congress, and a vote on the sanctions may follow. «President Trump said we will know in two weeks if they are deceiving us,» Graham added. «There will be more evidence of that from Russia on Monday.»