With the death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, Ukraine has lost a close ally from the entourage of President Donald Trump, the Associated Press notes, BTA reported.
Graham was in Ukraine two days earlier. There, he gave Ukrainians reason for optimism, telling reporters that the massive new and tough economic sanctions against Russia, which he had fought for years together with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, were finally on the way to being adopted. He promised that when he returned to Washington, he would meet with leaders from both parties to push 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 was one of Kiev's closest allies in Washington and a trusted intermediary in relations with Trump, who had a tense relationship with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Now, officials fear that without Graham, Ukraine's ability to influence the White House could be weakened on a wide range of issues, not just the fate of the Russia sanctions bill.
"A huge and completely unexpected loss," said Oleksandr Merezhko, a lawmaker from Zelensky's party. "He was truly irreplaceable. I don't even know who could be so important to 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 may weaken", he added.
Senior Ukrainian officials, including Zelensky, expressed condolences over Graham's death. Zelensky described him as one of the most determined defenders of Ukraine in Washington and as a person who maintained constant contact with Kiev.
He said he was "deeply saddened" by the senator's sudden death, noting that Graham had visited Ukraine 10 times since the start of the large-scale Russian invasion and had been there for the Ukrainians "when it was most needed".
"We were in constant dialogue and we will miss it very much", Zelensky wrote on Telegram, recalling that the two had met twice last week – at the NATO summit and again during Graham's visit to Kiev.
Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk described Graham as a "unwavering friend of Ukraine" whose support was "principled and resolute". He said he would always remember their "meaningful, sincere and cordial personal meetings", adding that he believed Graham's efforts to impose tougher sanctions on Russia would continue despite his death.
With Trump's return to the White House after the Biden administration, Ukrainian authorities have moved quickly to maintain relations with Republicans close to him amid growing uncertainty about future U.S. support. Graham became a central figure in that effort, lawmakers said at the time.
Graham was a political phenomenon that has become rare in the Republican Party, where Trump has absolute control, the AP notes.
The senator held firmly to more traditional conservative values in foreign policy, which included resolute opposition to Russia, a particularly aggressive stance on Iran and pressure on the White House to back Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even more forcefully.
Graham was also a fierce defender of traditional U.S. allies in Europe at a time when Trump was threatening to withdraw U.S. troops from the continent and increasingly vehemently denouncing NATO.
The senator held to those views, even though they often put him at odds with many of the fierce supporters of isolationism and the "America First" approach. within the presidential movement "Make America Great Again".
Although Trump often mocks Republicans in Congress, whom he considers insufficiently loyal, he was close to Graham and listened to him, especially on foreign policy issues.
Graham's support for Ukraine, however, clashed with Trump's complaints that the United States was spending too much money to help that country, the AP recalls.