"Your Purchases Killed...": US Senator's Russia Oil Warning To India, China

US Senator Lindsey Graham doubled down on his criticism of India, China and other nations involved in the Russian oil trade, claiming their purchases are fueling Moscow's war machine in Ukraine. Referring to the US President Donald Trump's punitive 50 per cent tariffs on Indian imports, the US leader said New Delhi was "experiencing the cost of supporting" Russian President Vladimir Putin and warned of similar fates to other nations trading with Moscow. 

"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," Graham said in a post on X.

The warning from the Republican Senator came after Russia's deadly attack on Ukraine early Thursday, which killed at least 23 people in Kyiv. 

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… https://t.co/G1KeSmKv1J

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 28, 2025

Graham has long tied Moscow's oil revenue with its war in Ukraine, saying Russia's war machine was being fueled by buyers outside the West. “Without oil and gas revenue, Russia collapses… the whole goal is to crush its customers – India, China, Brazil," he said during an earlier interview with NBC.

Russia's Latest Attack On Ukraine

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump "was not happy about this news, but he was also not surprised," given that the two countries had been at war for a long time. Leavitt said the Russian attacks had been deadly and that Ukrainian attacks had done significant damage in August to Russian oil refineries.

"Perhaps both sides of this war are not ready to end it themselves," she said. "The president wants it to end but the leaders of these two countries need it to end and want it to end."

The strikes took place less than two weeks after Trump hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska, a meeting the U.S. president hoped would advance his peace efforts.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the strike, the second-largest attack since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, was Moscow's answer to diplomatic efforts to end its war.

"Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table," Zelenskiy said on X, calling for new sanctions on Russia. "It chooses to continue killing instead of ending the war."

Russia said its attack had hit military-industrial facilities and air bases, and that Ukraine had attacked Russian targets. The Kremlin said it was still interested in pursuing peace talks.