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The US Senator, who attended the conference along with Senator Lindsey Graham, said the message from European leaders was clear and united in support of Ukraine
US Senator Richard Blumenthal. (Getty Images via AFP)
US Senator Richard Blumenthal has called for what he described as “bone-crushing sanctions” on countries like India, China, and Brazil for continuing to buy oil and gas from Russia, saying such actions are helping fund Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Blumenthal made the remarks on Friday in a series of posts on social media platform X, after attending the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome. He also shared photos from the event, which was attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and officials from both countries.
“Momentum building for our Russia Sanctions bill, shown by repeated statements of support from heads of state in Rome at the Ukraine Recovery Conference,” he wrote. “Bone crushing sanctions should help halt China, India & Brazil from fueling Russia’s war machine by buying its oil & gas.”
Momentum building for our Russia Sanctions bill, shown by repeated statements of support from heads of state in Rome at the Ukraine Recovery Conference. Bone crushing sanctions should help halt China, India & Brazil from fueling Russia’s war machine by buying its oil & gas. pic.twitter.com/4RenDfYg0T— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) July 11, 2025
The US Senator, who attended the conference along with Senator Lindsey Graham, said the message from European leaders was clear and united in support of Ukraine.
In another post from the same thread, Blumenthal said, “Peace through strength—a clear, unified message from European leaders in support of Ukraine. They know Ukraine’s fight is our fight, because Putin will put other nations in peril if he wins there. Only strength will compel Putin to talk seriously about peace.”
In a follow-up post, he shared a video from the event and said he was “deeply inspired and energised” by the strong solidarity among European heads of state. “Graham & me about our Russia Sanctions bill at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome. Powerful commitment to Ukraine’s cause & our legislation,” he added.
Bipartisan Bill On New Russia Sanctions
On Thursday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal—co-sponsors of a new bipartisan US sanctions package targeting Russia—briefed European allies and Ukraine in Rome. They described the bill as a “game-changer”, intended to reinforce Western resolve in support of Kyiv and to pressure Moscow into negotiations.
The proposed legislation would impose a 500% tariff on goods imported into the US from countries that continue buying Russian oil, gas, uranium, and other exports. It particularly targets India and China, which collectively purchase around 70% of Russia’s energy exports, and have been financing much of Russia’s war effort, according to the bill’s sponsors.
Graham and Blumenthal told The Associated Press that they plan to bring the bill to a Senate vote before the August recess. They argued that it would provide US President Donald Trump with the tools and flexibility needed to compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate an end to the conflict.
(With inputs from agencies)
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