Footage has emerged of Lindsey Graham describing U.S. military support to Ukraine as the “best money we’ve ever spent,” after noting that “Russians are dying” during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The comments were made on Friday during a visit to Kyiv by the South Carolina senator to express solidarity with Ukraine amidst the ongoing Russian invasion.
The two quotes appear in the video to follow one another. Newsweek has contacted Graham by telephone and voicemail message, asking if anything was cut between the two clips, and whether he stands by the remarks. The Russian Foreign Ministry has also been approached by email.
The United States provided Ukraine with $46.6 billion in military assistance between January 2022 and February 2023, according to the Council on Foreign Relations think tank, with American weaponry playing a key role in the country’s defense. However, 2024 Republican frontrunners Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis have questioned this level of support, making it vital for Zelensky to shore up support within the GOP.
Clips from the meeting were released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service, showing Graham and Zelensky having a conversation from across a round table.
Zelensky thanks the senator in English for the support America has provided to Ukraine, before stating: “Free or die, now we are free.”
Graham interjects, commenting: “And the Russians are dying.”
source newsweek.com
The Russian state media has just noticed this meeting from a few days ago between Zelensky & Senator Lindsey Graham, where the latter allegedly says, “And the Russians are dying. Itʼs the best money we ever spent,” though he seems to have said, “and the Russians are down.” pic.twitter.com/npXHCjPHUo
— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) May 28, 2023
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