US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has died following what his office described as a brief and sudden illness. He passed away on Saturday evening.
In a statement, his office said his family was grateful for the outpouring of prayers and support, while requesting privacy as they mourn their loss.
Graham, who was elected to the US Senate in 2002, spent more than two decades representing South Carolina and became one of the country’s most prominent voices on foreign policy. He also served as Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was regarded as a close ally of President Donald Trump.
President Trump paid tribute to the late senator, describing him as a “true American patriot” in a post on social media.
Just a day before his death, Graham was in Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. There had been no public indication that he was unwell before the visit.
Throughout Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Graham remained one of Washington’s strongest advocates for continued US support.
In an interview with the BBC in 2023, he warned that allowing Russia to prevail in Ukraine would have far-reaching global consequences.
“Putin will not stop in Ukraine,” he said at the time, arguing that weakness in Ukraine could also threaten stability in Taiwan.
During his latest visit to Ukraine, Graham was working on a revised Russia sanctions bill, saying it would provide President Trump with additional tools to help bring the war to an end.
Although Graham and Trump publicly disagreed on several occasions over the years, the senator eventually became one of the president’s most loyal supporters.
Speaking to the BBC in 2023, Graham acknowledged Trump’s flaws but defended his presidency, pointing to his administration’s border policies, the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and the appointment of conservative judges as key achievements.
