Lindsey Graham's final remarks on Ukraine: 'My hope is to end this war through diplomacy'
US Senator Lindsey Graham during his visit to Kyiv (photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Just days before his death, US Senator Lindsey Graham visited Kyiv, where he made a series of high-profile statements about sanctions against Russia, Ukraine's military, and possible paths to ending the war.
We have a formula to end this war
During a briefing in Kyiv, Lindsey Graham said that a new bipartisan sanctions bill had been agreed with the White House and should become one of the key tools to increase pressure on the Kremlin.
Senator Graham said a combination of tougher sanctions, stronger Ukrainian air defenses, and economic pressure on countries that continue buying Russian energy could force Russian President Vladimir Putin to come to the negotiating table.
"I've never been more optimistic than I am today that we have a formula to end this war," he noted.
Ukrainian drones: More advanced than anyone else's on planet
After visiting the Ukrainian company SkyFall, Graham praised the country's rapid progress in drone technology.
He said it would be a huge mistake for the United States not to cooperate with Ukraine on drones, calling Ukrainian developments the most advanced in the world.
The senator also stressed that innovation has enabled Ukraine to offset Russia's numerical advantage on the battlefield.
My hope is to end this war through diplomacy
Despite Ukraine's battlefield successes, Graham emphasized that the war must ultimately be resolved through diplomacy.
"You are not going to win this war on the battlefield. But Ukraine is really putting a lot of pressure on Russia. My hope is to end this war through diplomacy. And the more leverage we have over Putin, the better," the senator said.
Those remarks were among Graham's final public comments on Ukraine before his death.
As previously reported, US Senator Lindsey Graham died on the evening of July 11 following a brief, sudden illness. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, he had remained one of Ukraine's most outspoken supporters in the US Congress.
