US Senator Lindsey Graham has called on India to leverage its influence to help President Donald Trump bring an end to the war in Ukraine. In a social media post, Graham stated that such an action would be “consequential” for strengthening US-India relations. His comments came just hours after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Graham also criticized India for its purchases of cheap Russian oil, which he argued “fuels Putin’s war machine.” He expressed hope that Modi would urge Putin to seek a “just, honourable and forever” end to the conflict.
The senator’s statement was a response to Modi’s post on X about his “very good and detailed conversation” with Putin. The Kremlin confirmed that Putin had briefed Modi on the latest developments in Ukraine and shared key outcomes from his meeting with US President’s Special Envoy Steven Witkoff.
In their call, Modi reaffirmed India’s “unwavering stance” in favor of a political and diplomatic resolution to the situation in Ukraine. Modi also extended an invitation to Putin to visit India later this year for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit.
Graham has previously been a vocal supporter of imposing additional tariffs on India due to its Russian oil imports, calling it a way to make countries “pay a price for their war profiteering.”
