Ukraine reels after Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death, fearing a weaker link to Trump

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — With the death of Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, Ukraine lost a close ally in President Donald Trump’s orbit, leaving its leaders grappling with the implications for their war-torn country.

Graham had been in Ukraine two days prior, standing in Kyiv’s St. Michael’s Square, flanked by the golden domes of the monastery and the burned-out remains of Russian military equipment.

There, he offered Ukrainians reason to be optimistic, telling reporters that sweeping new hard-hitting economic sanctions against Russia, legislation he had spent years pushing with Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, were finally within reach. He would be heading back to Washington to meet with bipartisan leaders to advance the proposal.

Two days later, on Sunday, the world learned of his sudden death.

Ukrainian officials and lawmakers were devastated by the news. For years, Graham had been one of Kyiv’s closest allies in Washington and a trusted intermediary with Trump, who had a strained relationship with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Now, officials fear that without Graham, Ukraine’s ability to influence the White House could be diminished across a broad range of issues, not just the fate of the Russia sanctions bill.

“Huge and absolutely unexpected loss,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, a lawmaker with Zelenskyy’s party. “He was truly indispensable. I even don’t know who might be as important for us now in Trump’s entourage.”

“He was the closest link between Ukraine, our president and Trump,” he added. “Our position in Trump’s entourage might be weaker.”

Zelenskyy said he had ‘constant dialogue’ with Graham

Condolences poured in from senior Ukrainian officials including Zelenskyy, who remembered Graham as one of Ukraine’s staunchest champions in Washington and someone who was in constant contact with Kyiv.

Zelenskyy said he was “deeply saddened” by the senator’s sudden death, noting that Graham had visited Ukraine 10 times since Russia’s full-scale invasion and had been with Ukrainians “when it was most needed.”

“We were in constant dialogue and will miss that greatly,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, recalling that the two had met twice last week, at the NATO summit and again during Graham’s visit to Kyiv.

Parliamentary Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk described Graham as a “steadfast friend of Ukraine” whose support was “principled and resolute.” He said he would always remember their “meaningful, sincere, and warmly personal meetings,” adding that he believed Graham’s efforts to impose tougher sanctions on Russia would be carried forward despite his death.

With Trump’s return to the White House after the Biden administration, Ukrainian officials moved swiftly to cultivate relationships with Republicans close to him amid growing uncertainty over future U.S. backing. Graham became a central figure in those efforts, lawmakers said at the time.

Oleksandr Kraiev, a political analyst at the think tank Ukrainian Prism, said Graham was an unusually prominent figure in Ukraine.

“Graham is even more well-known and more popular among Ukrainians than many Ukrainian politicians,” Kraiev said.

Without Graham, Ukraine could lose an influential advocate with direct access to Trump, Kraiev said.

“I don’t see anyone else who will take the lead in helping Ukraine maintain those necessary connections,” he said.

In a break from many Trump supporters, Graham stayed focused on Ukraine

Graham was a political phenomenon now rare in a Republican Party where Trump has absolute control.

The senator steadfastly held onto more traditional conservative foreign policy values that included staunchly opposing Russia, being especially hawkish on Iran and pushing the White House to even more fully embrace Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Graham also was a vocal supporter of traditional U.S. allies in Europe at a time when Trump threatened to pull American troops off the continent and denigrated NATO with increasing zeal.

The senator maintained those views despite them often putting him at odds with many vocal supporters of the isolationism and “America First” approach of the president’s “Make America Great Again” movement.

Although Trump frequently ridicules Republican members of Congress he perceives as not sufficiently loyal, he remained close to Graham and listened to him, especially on foreign policy matters.

A powerful voice in the Senate, even Democrats noticed Graham’s independent streak with much of the rest of his party.

“He marched to his own drummer,” Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, said in a statement. “He could be strong-minded, fiercely driven, and sometimes unpredictable, but also deeply compassionate and sympathetic when he saw suffering and injustice.”

Graham’s support of Ukraine bumped up against Trump’s complaints that the U.S. was spending too much money to help the besieged country.

Still, Graham thought he was close to advancing legislation bolstering economic sanctions against Russia. Blumenthal said he’d spoken to Graham over the weekend and that the South Carolinian was “exulted” about the prospect of moving such a package forward.

Blumenthal added that the bill should now be passed as a “fitting tribute” to Graham.

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Weissert reported from Washington.