Russia issues arrest warrant for Lindsey Graham after Ukraine comments

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks during a Senate Appropriations hearing on the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, May 16, 2023. 

MOSCOW, Russia

Russia’s Interior Ministry has issued an arrest warrant for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) after he praised U.S. military aid to Ukraine as “the best money we’ve ever spent.” 

Russian officials reacted to a video of Graham’s meeting Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which Graham acknowledged “Russians are dying” and then said in another moment that “it’s the best money we ever spent.” 

Graham appeared to make the comments in different parts of the conversation, which was edited and posted on Zelensky’s social media account.  

Russia’s Investigative Committee has also opened a criminal case against Graham, asserting that the Republican senator “declared the financial involvement of the United States is causing the death of Russian citizens.” 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov criticized the comments as a “shame.” 

“It’s difficult to imagine a greater shame for a country than having such senators,” he said. 

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said “Graham shouldn’t have done that” and called the 67-year-old lawmaker an “old fool.” 

Graham later dismissed the criticisms by Russian officials as “propaganda.” 

“As usual the Russia propaganda machine is hard at work,” he told Reuters.  

“Mr. Medvedev, if you want Russians to stop dying in Ukraine, withdraw. Stop the invasion. Stop the war crimes. The truth is that you and Putin could care less about Russian soldiers,” he said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.