Graham Warns Rewarding Putin in Ukraine Peace Deal Could Endanger Taiwan

China is closely observing President Donald Trump’s push for a negotiated end to the Russian-Ukrainian war, Senator Lindsey Graham said, warning that any deal perceived as rewarding Moscow could embolden Beijing over Taiwan.

The Gaze reports this, referring to Politico.

“If it ends in a way that looks like that Putin’s overly rewarded, there goes Taiwan,” Graham stated.

Trump suggested on Friday that peace talks could involve “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both” sides.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy swiftly rejected any territorial concessions in exchange for ending the war. Graham also said he hopes Kyiv will remain directly involved in the process and stressed that lasting security guarantees for Ukraine must be part of any settlement.

“What would a good deal look like? Making sure that 2022 doesn’t happen again,” Graham said. “On Biden’s watch and Obama’s watch, Russia invades. The goal for me, and I think President Trump, is to end it forever. Now, what would that look like? You’ll have some land swaps, but only after you have security guarantees to Ukraine to prevent Russia from doing this again.”

The senator also linked the outcome of the talks to deterrence in the Asia-Pacific, noting that China, a major buyer of Russian oil, is watching Washington’s approach closely. His comments came days after the White House announced a 50% tariff on Indian imports of Russian oil for domestic use.

“I am here to tell you that President Trump will end this war in a way to prevent a third invasion and not to entice China to take Taiwan. We’re not out to humiliate Putin, we’re out to get a deal to make sure there’s no third invasion,” Graham said. 

As The Gaze reported earlier, Russia circumvented Western sanctions by purchasing equipment from Germany's Siemens through an intermediary that imports technology from China.