United States Senator Lindsey Graham has blasted Hungary and Slovakia over their ongoing purchases of Russian energy, warning they’ll face “consequences” if they don’t end their reliance.
The anti-Russia hawk from South Carolina said on social media that President Trump was “right to demand that Europe stop buying Russian oil.“ He admitted that while most of Europe has done so, it is “now virtually down to Hungary and Slovakia.“
“I hope and expect them to step up to the plate soon to help us end this bloodbath,” he said. “If not, consequences should and will follow.“
President Trump had last week urged all NATO countries to “stop buying oil from Russia” – saying he’ll only slap additional sanctions on Moscow once they had all done so.
As a reminder, Trump wrote Social Saturday morning, “I am ready to do major Sanctions on Russia when all NATO Nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA.”
He described his words as a letter to America’s allies and to the world: “As you know, NATO’S commitment to WIN has been far less than 100%, and the purchase of Russian Oil, by some, has been shocking,” he continued.
“China has a strong control, and even grip, over Russia, and these powerful Tariffs will break that grip,” Trump’s ‘letter’ continued. He then made his position clear that tariffs on China would “be of great help in ENDING this deadly, but RIDICULOUS, WAR.”
Prior to February 2022 and the start of the current war, the European Union as a whole imported 45% of its natural gas from Russia. Additionally 27% of crude imports were sourced to Russia in pre-war times.
China and India are of course at this moment the two biggest importers of Russian oil, in that order, but what’s less well known is that NATO member Turkey is the third largest. Ironically, Turkey maintains the second largest military in NATO, next to the United States.
.@SecScottBessent: “We are prepared to increase pressure on Russia, but we need our European partners to follow us… If the U.S. and the EU can come in, do more sanctions, secondary tariffs on the countries that buy Russian oil, the Russian economy will be in full collapse.” pic.twitter.com/fNfGiofCsr
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 7, 2025
It continues, alongside Orban’s Hungary and Fico’s Slovakia, to be a thorn in the side of ‘NATO unity’ regarding Russian energy imports.
But strangely Graham said nothing of Turkey in his comments aimed squarely at Hungary and Slovakia.
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