'We'll crush your economy': US Senator warns India, China, Brazil over Russian oil imports

US Senator Lindsey Graham has warned that Donald Trump will impose steep tariffs on countries that continue to import oil from Russia, specifically naming India, China and Brazil, in his remarks.

Graham’s remarks come almost a week after Trump warned that a 100 per cent secondary tariff would be imposed on countries purchasing Russian exports unless a peace deal was reached between Moscow and Kyiv within 50 days.

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Tariffs on India, China, Brazil

Speaking to Fox News, Graham said, "Trump is going to impose tariffs on people that buy Russian oil: China, India, and Brazil."

The move, he claimed, is aimed at cutting off financial support to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war efforts in Ukraine.

"Those three countries buy about 80 per cent of cheap Russian oil, and that's what keeps (Vladimir) Putin's war machine going. So, President Trump is going to put a 100 per cent tariff on all those countries, punishing them for helping Putin," he said.

According to Graham, the move is part of Trump’s broader strategy to hold countries accountable for indirectly supporting Russia’s war machine.

US warns Putin

Addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin directly, Graham said, “You have played President Trump at your own peril. You made a major league mistake, and your economy is going to continue to be crushed. We’re flowing weapons to Ukraine, so Ukraine will have the weapons to fight Putin back.”

Graham accused Vladimir Putin of attempting to rebuild the Soviet Union by invading countries that do not belong to him.

“Putin wants to take countries that are not his. In the mid-90s, Ukraine gave up 1,700 nuclear weapons with a promise that their sovereignty would be respected by Russia. Putin broke that promise,” Graham told Fox News.

“He’s (Putin) not going to stop until somebody makes him stop,” he added. He advised Putin to get to the negotiating table as "he's about to get crushed".

The US Senator warned Putin, saying that his "turn is coming" after Trump dealt with the "incredibly dangerous" Iran.

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India faces tough choice

"Here's what I would tell China, India and Brazil: If you keep buying cheap Russian oil to allow this war to continue, we're going to tear the hell out of you and crush your economy, because what you are doing is blood money," he added.

"You're buying cheap Russian oil at the expense of the world, and President Trump is tired of this game," Graham said.

He added that while Putin may be able to withstand sanctions and show disregard for Russian soldiers, other countries dependent on trade with the United States will feel the cost.

“China, India, and Brazil they’re about to face a choice between the American economy or helping Putin. And I think they’re going to come pick the American economy,” he said.

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'Scotty Scheffler' of American politics

Graham also compared Trump’s leadership style to that of a top athlete. “Donald Trump is the Scotty Scheffler of American politics and foreign diplomacy, and he’s about to put a whooping on your ass,” he said.

He said Trump's tariffs on India, China and Brazil would be a direct warning to other nations as well.

Russia declared war on Ukraine in February 2022, which triggered the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. The United States and its European allies have imposed sanctions on Russian businesses and exports to force Moscow to negotiate a peace deal with Kyiv.

India and China are among the countries whose imports of cheaper fuel from Russia have increased since 2022.

This has raised concerns in Washington that high volume purchases are undermining the West’s attempts to squeeze the Russian economy and thus, indirectly, helping finance its military operations in Ukraine.