Lindsey Graham: Russia issues arrest warrant for top Republican
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Loading... - Martisse Bertin
- 30 May 2023
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Russia has issued an arrest warrant for United States Senator Lindsey Graham after a manipulated video surfaced, allegedly showing him celebrating the deaths of Russian soldiers. The footage, a combination of two separate moments, was shared by President Volodymyr Zelensky's office following their meeting in Kyiv on Friday. Senator Graham referred to the aid provided to Kyiv as "the most worthwhile investment," mentioning the casualties among Russian troops. In response, the senior Republican stated that he would proudly wear the warrant as a "Badge of Honor."
Expressing his delight, Senator Graham wrote on Twitter on Monday, "It brings me immense joy to know that my dedication to Ukraine has provoked the anger of Putin's regime. I will continue to stand firmly with Ukraine's quest for freedom until every Russian soldier is expelled from Ukrainian territory." He added, "To my Russian 'friends' who wish to arrest and prosecute me for exposing the Putin regime as war criminals: I am willing to submit to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court if you do the same."
After Senator Graham's comments drew criticism from Moscow last week, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov labeling him as a source of "great shame" for the country, Ukraine released the unedited version of the video clip on social media on Sunday. The unedited footage revealed that Senator Graham made the statements at separate instances during the meeting, but they were edited together by President Zelensky's office to appear consecutive.
In the initial segment, Senator Graham acknowledged the effectiveness of U.S. military assistance to Ukraine in countering Russia's advancement, describing it as "an investment that paid off." In the subsequent unrelated clip, he mentioned the initial belief that Ukraine would only withstand Moscow's aggression for three days but highlighted the unexpected toll on Russian troops, stating, "The Russians are losing their lives."
Russia's foreign ministry accused Kyiv of attempting to shield Senator Graham from criticism and challenged him to clarify whether his words had been taken out of context. The Russian interior ministry, responsible for putting Senator Graham on the wanted list, did not disclose the specific charges against him. However, Moscow's Investigative Committee, a federal law enforcement agency similar to the U.S. FBI, announced last week that it had launched an inquiry into "the American senator's rhetoric regarding the killing of Russians."
Senator Graham is widely recognized as one of the Republican Party's most staunch advocates on matters of foreign policy. The lawmaker from South Carolina has been a strong proponent of aid to Ukraine and has previously accused Moscow of committing "crimes against humanity" during the conflict. In the past, he stirred controversy in Moscow by calling for the assassination of Russian President Vladimir Putin, asserting on Twitter that the only resolution to Russia's invasion of Ukraine would be "for someone in Russia to eliminate this man."
Nonetheless, the 67-year-old senator is also a close ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, whose stance on aid to Ukraine has been ambiguous. Mr. Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, has consistently claimed that he could end the war within 24 hours if re-elected but has refrained from expressing a clear position on Ukraine's success.
