Ukraine reels after Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death, fearing a weaker
link to Trump
[July 13, 2026]
By SAMYA KULLAB and WILL WEISSERT
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.
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In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office,
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and U.S. Sen. Lindsey
Graham, R-S.C. in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, July 10, 2026. (Ukrainian
Presidential Press Office via AP)
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.
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