Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is calling for strong action against Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a recent interview, Graham said that President Donald Trump should hit Putin with what he called “bone-crushing” sanctions. The goal is clear: stop the war in Ukraine and keep NATO countries safe from further Russian attacks.
Graham’s message comes as Ukraine marks 34 years of independence. But instead of peace, Ukraine is still locked in a bloody conflict with Russia that started in 2022. Despite years of fighting, Russia shows no signs of pulling back. In fact, the Kremlin has only doubled down, using missile strikes, drone attacks, and brutal ground forces to try to wear Ukraine down.
Graham’s warning is not just about helping Ukraine. It’s about protecting America’s allies and stopping a dictator before he pushes even further into Europe. If Putin is not stopped now, his next target could be a NATO country like Poland or the Baltic states. That would force the U.S. and its allies into a direct military conflict under NATO’s defense agreement—something that would put American troops in harm’s way.
That’s why sanctions are so important. Economic sanctions can target Russia’s banking system, energy exports, and military supply chains. They can freeze the assets of Putin’s inner circle and cut off the money that funds his war machine. But for sanctions to work, they must be tough enough to hurt and wide enough to isolate Russia from the global economy.
President Trump has a history of using sanctions as a tool of pressure. During his first term, he imposed strict penalties on Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela. Those actions showed that America could use its economic power to push back against hostile regimes without launching a war. Graham is now urging Trump to take the same approach with Russia—only harder.
The timing is critical. Russia is trying to outlast Ukraine and the West. It’s betting that the American people will grow tired of supporting a war thousands of miles away. But giving in to that fatigue would be dangerous. If Putin wins in Ukraine, it would send a message to other dictators—like Xi Jinping in China or the Ayatollah in Iran—that military aggression works and that the West no longer has the will to fight back.
The U.S. must also think about the long-term cost of doing nothing. The fall of Ukraine would shift the balance of power in Europe. It would give Russia control over more territory, more natural resources, and greater influence over global energy markets. That would hurt America’s economy and weaken our allies.
On top of that, Putin has been deepening ties with other anti-American countries, including Iran, North Korea, and even Communist China. By forming these alliances, Russia is trying to build a new world order that cuts out the United States and its democratic partners. That’s not just a foreign policy issue—it’s a threat to our national security.
Senator Graham’s call for “bone-crushing” sanctions is not about punishment for punishment’s sake. It’s about using every tool we have to stop a war that could spread far beyond Ukraine’s borders. It’s about standing with our allies, defending freedom, and keeping American soldiers out of another foreign war.
Now is the time for strength, not hesitation. The world is watching to see if the United States will lead—or step back. President Trump has the chance to show that America still stands for peace through strength and that we will not be bullied by dictators who seek to redraw the map through violence.