US Senator Lindsey Graham accuses India of aiding Russia's war after strikes on Kyiv
Graham’s remarks came after Russian missile strikes in Kyiv killed 23 people on Aug 28; the senator said India is 'experiencing the cost' of supporting Putin
US Senator Lindsey Graham has doubled down on his attack on India, China, and Brazil, while accusing these countries of supporting Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine by buying Russian oil.
Graham also said India is facing the consequences of supporting “Moscow’s war machine,” and that the other nations will also soon face the music.
“India, China, Brazil, and others who prop up Putin’s war machine by buying cheap Russian oil: How do you feel right now that your purchases have resulted in innocent civilians, including children, being killed? India is experiencing the cost of supporting Putin. To the rest, you will soon too,” he said in a post on X.
Latest Russian strikes on Kyiv
The senator made these remarks after the latest Russian missile strikes on Kyiv on Thursday (August 28) that killed at least 23 people and injured several others. The Russian attack also damaged the European Union’s diplomatic mission building in Kyiv, leading to international condemnation.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the Russian missile strikes “another massive attack against our cities and communities,” while he expressed his condolences to the families of those who had died in the attack.
Graham’s criticism
Graham has regularly criticised countries for buying Russian oil, saying the revenue was instrumental in funding the war in Ukraine. He reiterated that US President Trump’s objective was to end the war by targeting those countries.
“Without oil and gas revenue, Russia collapses. The whole goal is to crush his (Putin’s) customers – India, Brazil, China,” said Graham.
The US senator has also warned allies in the European Union, accusing them of indirectly buying Russian oil routed through India, and told them they were being watched and it needed to stop immediately.
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The US tariffs of an extra 25 per cent on Indian imports have come into effect, and several industry bodies in India have already brought up the issue of orders being lost, delayed payments, and potential job losses. The affected sectors are asking the union government to compensate them for the lost revenue in order to protect jobs.