Lindsey Graham has threatened the two NATO states Hungary and Slovakia, with consequences if they do not stop purchasing Russian oil.
Graham a Republican senator from South Carolina issued the warning on Monday after President Trump renewed calls for NATO states to end energy imports from Moscow, In apparent frustration over the pace of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
RT reports: The president was “right to demand that Europe stop buying Reneussian oil,” Graham wrote on X on Monday. He conceded that the EU had largely done so, adding it was “now virtually down to Hungary and Slovakia… to step up to the plate soon.”
“If not, consequences should and will follow,” he warned.
.@POTUS is right to demand that Europe stop buying Russian oil. The good news is that Europe has substantially reduced their purchases of Russian oil and gas.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 15, 2025
When it comes to buying Russian oil, it is now virtually down to Hungary and Slovakia. I hope and expect them to step up…
The two countries blocked the EU’s 18th sanctions package in June, warning it threatened their energy security. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the plan would prevent states from buying “cheap Russian natural gas and cheap Russian oil,” while Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico branded some proposals “economic suicide” without viable alternatives.
Brussels has pledged to phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027, but Hungary and Slovakia remain opposed to immediate restrictions, citing dependence on the Druzhba pipeline.
Kiev repeatedly struck the Druzhba pipeline in August, with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky describing the attacks as “sanctions.”
The EU is currently drafting its 19th sanctions package, expected to target Russian oil exports and the banking sector. The measures, initially planned to be presented this week, have reportedly been delayed as Brussels debates how to respond to demands from Washington regarding Russian energy imports.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Graham said he would introduce legislation that would ban visas from Hungary and Slovakia if they refuse stop buying Russian oil.
По материалам: http://www.planet-today.com/2025/09/lindsey-graham-threatens-hungary-and.html