Paris: Russian President Vladimir Putin is getting ready for a major new offensive in Ukraine while dragging out peace talks, two senior US Senators warned on Sunday. They said the next two weeks could decide how the war — which has destroyed cities and displaced millions — moves forward.

Senators Lindsey Graham (Republican) and Richard Blumenthal (Democrat) visited Ukraine, met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and saw first-hand the damage caused by Russia’s latest attacks. Speaking in Paris, where they also met French President Emmanuel Macron, they urged urgent action.

"What I learned on this trip was he's preparing for more war,” Graham said. Blumenthal added that Russia is launching a “new offensive” and described their proposed sanctions as “bone-crushing.”

The senators said they are pushing for a tough Bipartisan Sanctions Bill in the US Senate. A key part of the Bill is a 500% tariff on countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other goods — clearly targeting India and China, which together buy around 70% of Russia’s energy exports.

Graham said: “The world has a lot of cards to play against Putin. We're going to hit China and India for propping up his war machine.”

Talks between Russia and Ukraine are set to resume on Monday in Istanbul, but the Senators said Moscow has not made any real proposal so far. Blumenthal claimed Putin is just buying time to grab more land.

They also warned that delaying action now could lead to deeper US involvement later. “Putin is a thug. He's a murderer,” Blumenthal said after visiting Bucha and hearing from survivors of alleged Russian war crimes.

They praised Macron for supporting tougher steps and said Europe is now more united. The Senators plan to take their message back to Washington to push for the sanctions vote.