China 'watching' US-Russia peace talks to 'eye up' Taiwan invasion

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has warned that China is closely monitoring the forthcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a conversation with NBC's Kristen Welker on Sunday, the South Carolina senator suggested that there was more at stake than just peace between Ukraine and Russia. "If it ends in a way that looks like that Putin's overly rewarded, there goes Taiwan," Graham, 70, stated on Meet The Press.

During the discussion, Graham expressed his hope that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "can be part of the process." The news comes as an expert poured cold water on the idea that a deal to end the war in Ukraine could be pulled off by Trump.

China is actively watching the upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump (Image: AP)

What would a deal look like?

He also mentioned that other aspects of the peace talks will allegedly determine whether a deal is beneficial for Ukraine and its allies.

"What would a good deal look like? Making sure that 2022 doesn't happen again," he told Welker. "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," added Graham. He noted that China has been a significant buyer of Russian fuel, which has fueled Russia's war efforts.

"We're not out to humiliate Putin, we're out to get a deal to make sure there's no third invasion," he added.

"We're not out to humiliate Putin, we're out to get a deal to make sure there's no third invasion," Graham said (Image: AP)

Support for the President

This statement is the latest in a series of comments made by Graham in support of the president.

Last month, the forthright senator issued a bold challenge to the Russian leader, stating that Trump was ready to give Putin a "kick in the ---."

Speaking on Late Night in America, the South Carolina senator made this statement while discussing Iran and Putin's apparent breach of promise to respect Ukraine's sovereignty if they relinquished their nuclear weapons.

The senator ended his time by proclaiming that Trump would not let Taiwan, a U.S. ally, fall (Image: AP)

Putin's war machine

"He's not gonna stop until somebody makes him stop. So Trump has been tough on Iran, which is incredibly dangerous, but in a weakened state. And Putin, your turn is coming," Graham declared. "Donald Trump is the Scottish schefler of American politics and foreign diplomacy, and he's about to put a whooping on your ---.

"What's gonna happen here is that Trump is gonna impose tariffs on people who buy Russian oil. China, India, and Brazil, those three countries, buy about 80% of cheap Russian oil," he continued. "That's what keeps Putin's war machine going."