Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina and an influential figure in American foreign policy, died Saturday night following a sudden illness. He had just returned from Kyiv, where he had met with the Ukrainian president. Volodymyr Zelensky the day before his death.
His office released a brief statement: "Senator Graham's family appreciates prayers at this time and asks that their privacy be respected during this incredibly difficult time." No known health problems had been reported prior to his trip to Ukraine.
Elected to the Senate in 2002, Graham was one of the most respected voices in Washington on foreign policy issues. He chaired the Senate Budget Committee and had established himself, over the years, as one of the most consistent supporters of Donald Trump, despite numerous past clashes with him.
The US president paid tribute to him on social media, calling him a "true American patriot."
Graham consistently defended American military support for Ukraine. “Putin will not stop in Ukraine,” he declared in 2023. “Being weak in Ukraine means losing in Taiwan,” he added. During his last visit to Kyiv, he was working on a draft bill imposing sanctions against Russia, which he described as a way to give “President Trump the tools to end this war.”
Regarding his relationship with Trump, Graham had been keen to qualify his judgment in 2023: "There is a dark side to Donald Trump... and he has been a very good president. But I remain with him because I have seen what he has accomplished," citing the migration policy at the southern border, the elimination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and the appointment of conservative judges.
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