Graham and Blumenthal Visit Kyiv
On Friday, May 30th, Senators Lyndsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal visited Kyiv and met with President Zelenskyy. They visited recently burned-out buildings in Kyiv from the recent unrelenting bombings by Russia of residential areas. In addition, they visited Bucha and saw firsthand the remnants of the atrocities committed in the early days of the war.
Zelenskyy shared with them intelligence Ukraine has that Russia is planning a large-scale offensive during the summer, a sure sign that Russia has no intention to agree to a peace deal.
‘“The size and scope of the destruction is a different order of magnitude,” Mr. Blumenthal said in an interview. “The Russians are using ballistic missiles, using drones to carry much higher and more destructive munitions.”’ reported in the New York Times.
Both senators used the trip to urge their colleagues in the Senate and House to pass the Russian Sanctions Act of 2025. The Senate bill (S. 1241) already has 82 co-sponsors while the House version (H.R. 2548) has 40, with equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans.
Mr. Graham’s comments about Russia were scathing: “I don’t believe Putin is a willing partner,” he said, speaking to reporters in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. “Russia delays. They haven’t produced anything in terms of their demands for peace, and I don’t think they’re ever going to because they don’t want peace. They want more war.”…..”(Ukraine has) done everything President Trump and others have asked.”’
While President Trump has not revealed his position on the sanctions bill, Senator Graham said the House Republicans were preparing to move forward with the same companion bill, as there is growing consensus in the GOP that Russia and countries like China supporting Russia need to be punished.
As reported by the New York Times, Graham said, “The game is about to change. Enough of talking; It’s now time to act.”’
Russia came to Istanbul on Monday, June 2nd, with their thirty-point ceasefire and peace memorandum. According to CNN, Moscow outlined two ceasefire options with conditions for Ukraine to meet.
In the first option, Ukraine’s Armed Forces would have to retreat from the five regions Russia annexed in 2022, even those regions Russia does not fully control. In the second option, Ukraine’s Armed Forces would have to demobilize, and all foreign military aid to Ukraine, including intelligence, would need to be stopped. Ukraine would also be banned from deploying and mobilizing its armed forces, would need to lift martial law, and hold elections within 100 days.
Just as Senator Graham predicted, Russia came to Istanbul with an unserious ceasefire plan littered with maximalist demands that no country seeking to retain its sovereignty or independence would ever agree to. Senator Graham and Blumenthal are right. The time for talking is over. It’s time to act and punish Putin. Only through maximal pain and strength will Putin come to the negotiating table. The Sanctions bill will give President Trump the tools to force Putin to be serious about peace.