Posted originally on Jul 22, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

Neocon Lindsay Graham, the modern-day John McCain, would willingly destroy ties with America’s top trading partners in the name of war. Graham has threatened to “crush” the economies of China, Brazil, and India over their continued imports of Russian oil.

Only the fools in the West dismantled their energy sector stability for Ukraine. Everyone was importing Russian oil prior to 2022. “Here’s what I would tell China, India and Brazil: If you keep buying cheap Russian oil to allow this war to continue, we’re going to tear the hell out of you and we’re going to crush your economy, because what you’re doing is blood money,” Graham stated in a recent interview. “You’re buying cheap Russian oil at the expense of the world, and President Trump is tired of this game.”

Graham’s new strategy is glorifying President Trump’s trade tariffs and deals to position the president as pro-war. The neocons always find their way into the Oval Office. Trump indeed changed his tune on Ukraine. He entered the office from a neutral perspective, even reprimanding Zelensky for requesting endless funds. Even European nations said they were surprised when Trump suddenly signed off on a large arms to Kiev deal in mid-July. “Finally, we are showing that we are pulling in the same direction as security policy partners,” German Chancellor Merz said after learning of Trump’s pivot. Merz, who weeks prior was touting that Europe needed to become independent from the United States, then said that Germany would be willing to buy American weapons to arm Ukraine.

China and India have attempted to remain neutral and strengthen their own economies as the West sacrifices itself. We buy oil from Venezuela, turn a blind eye to Saudi actions—but if India buys Russian oil to keep its lights on, suddenly that’s a global threat? The hypocrisy is obvious. The West cut itself off from cheap energy and now wonders why its economies are collapsing. The energy crisis is self-inflicted.

The neocons believe they can dictate foreign policy through tariffs as if China and India were American colonies. China and India together have similar economic strength as the US in terms of GDP. Disrupting free trade will only cause capital to flee America as these nations have no incentive to alter their energy policies for a war that does not involve them.

“Putin wants to take countries that are not his. In the mid-90s, Ukraine gave up 1,700 nuclear weapons with a promise that their sovereignty would be respected by Russia. Putin broke that promise,” Graham also stated, continuing the false narrative that Putin yearns for the USSR. Putin has stated his terms repeatedly and made an agreement with Europe—the Minsk Agreement—that was used as an excuse to allow Ukraine time to build its military. Europe has nothing of value from a land perspective. These neocons are hurting their own nations by weaponizing trade for Ukraine. We have absolutely nothing to gain from these actions.