US Senator Lindsey Graham, A Leading Republican Backer Of Ukraine, Dies At 71
by RFE/RL · Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty · JoinUS Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the Republican Party's most influential voices on foreign policy and among Ukraine's strongest supporters in Washington, died on July 11 after what his office described as a "brief and sudden illness."
He was 71. No cause of death was immediately disclosed.
The South Carolina Republican spent more than two decades in the US Senate, where he built a reputation as an outspoken advocate of an assertive American role abroad.
During Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022, Graham emerged as one of Kyiv's closest allies in Washington, pressing successive US administrations to provide more military assistance, tighten sanctions on Moscow, and maintain pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kyiv Meeting
Graham had just returned from Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 10.
His visit came as a bipartisan group of US senators said they had reached an agreement with the Trump administration to advance long-delayed legislation aimed at imposing tougher economic penalties on Russia and countries that continue to support Moscow’s war economy.
In a post on X, Ukraine parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said he was "deeply saddened by the news of Senator Lindsey Graham’s passing."
"Lindsey Graham was a steadfast friend of Ukraine who clearly understood that our struggle is a fight for freedom, democracy, and a just international order. His voice carried weight in the US Senate, and his support for our country was principled and resolute," Stefanchuk said.
One of Graham's top staffers told NBC News that there had been no indication that the senator was feeling unwell immediately prior to his death. He was also scheduled to appear on NBC News's Meet The Press on July 12.
US Senator Lindsey Graham, A Leading Republican Backer Of Ukraine, Dies At 71
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