Senator Lindsey Graham, RS.C., warned potentially disastrous consequences for Ukraine on Sunday if the Trump administration does not do so restart military aid and intelligence With the Eastern European Nation.
“As long as the fighting continues, if we manage the branch to Ukraine, it would be worse than Afghanistan,” said Graham during an interview On “Fox News Sunday”.
“Until we have a ceasefire, I would give Ukraine what they need in terms of intelligence and weapons to defend themselves,” added Graham. “In terms of Russia, I will present sanctions in their banking sector and their energy sector next week, urging them to go to the table. If they do not engage in the ceasefire and peace talks with the administration, we should sanction them. »»
His comments come only a few days after the Trump administration Military aid in break And the sharing of intelligence with Ukraine, which has just marked the first anniversary of the invasion of Russia through the eastern border of Ukraine.
Asked about the American break on the sharing of Intel, President Donald Trump told journalists on the Air Force One on Sunday, “we really have it.”
“We want to do our best to make Ukraine serious to do something,” added Trump.
Help in the United States for Ukraine took a brutal break last week after tensions between Trump, vice-president JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy boiled during An oval office meeting On February 28, it turned into a cries match. In the fallout from this meeting, Russia launched A growing attack dam on Ukraine.
Zelenskyy had visited the White House to sign an agreement that would have granted the American property of certain minerals in Ukraine. But Zelenskyy left the White House without agreement after the Ukrainian President insisted on security guarantees and Trump and Vance accused him of not being grateful for the continuous support of the United States.
“We are trying to integrate our savings. We try to make sure that Ukraine has value for the American economy – a win -win situation, “said Graham, who had previously had called Zelenskyy to resign After the meeting of the oval office.
Trump said on Sunday that Ukraine is now ready to sign the mineral agreement. However, he said that kyiv has still not adequately displayed a desire for peace, although he thinks that it will change in the coming days.
“I want them to want peace right now. Well, at the moment, they have not shown it since they should,” Trump told journalists on Air Force One. “But I think they will be, and I think it will become obvious in the next two or three days.”
US and Ukrainian officials are preparing to meet in Saudi Arabia this week to work for a potential mineral agreement and a cease-fire agreement with Russia. But Trump has reported to its domestic allies That he wants more than the mineral agreement of Ukraine in exchange for restarting aid and sharing of information.
Asked about the mineral agreement in Ukraine in a separate interview on the “Sunday morning future” of Fox News, Trump told Maria Bartiromo: “I think yes. I think it will happen.
Trump also responded to the criticisms that it was not difficult for Russia, saying to Bartiromo: “I was very difficult for Russia, more difficult than anyone who never went to Russia, if you think about it.”
In a Publish On Saturday, Zelenskyy appointed a delegation to attend the meeting in Saudi Arabia, saying that Ukraine is “fully engaged in constructive dialogue”.
“Ukraine looked for peace from the first second of this war. Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and efficiently, “wrote Zelenskyy.
In the weeks preceding the meeting of the oval office with Zelenskyy, Trump and the Ukrainian president exchanged distance beards, the American president calling in Zelenskyy a “dictator” And involving that Ukraine was responsible To start the war, not Russia.
Courtney Kube,, Kristen Welker,, Carol E. Lee,, Raquel Coronell uribe And Nnamdi egwuonwu contributed.