Photo: EPA
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina died on the evening of July 11 at the age of 71 following a brief illness, according to a statement from his office.
His family thanked supporters for their prayers and condolences and asked for privacy during this difficult time.
According to The Washington Post, Graham was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 before winning a Senate seat in 2002. He was seeking another term in this year's elections.
Throughout his political career, Graham was one of President Donald Trump's closest allies, although the two occasionally differed on foreign policy. Speaking at a campaign rally last month, Trump described Graham as "an outstanding person" who had supported him more than anyone else in the Senate. He recalled that although they competed for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, they later became close friends.
Graham was a vocal supporter of Ukraine throughout Russia's full-scale invasion, repeatedly calling for increased military assistance to Kyiv and tougher sanctions against Moscow.
During the NATO summit in Ankara, he said the United States recognized Ukraine's contribution to the Alliance's security and reiterated his support for Ukraine's future NATO membership, praising the country's armed forces for their resistance against Russian aggression.
On his 10th visit to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Graham met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and discussed proposed legislation aimed at increasing pressure on Russia and countries supporting its war effort.
He also argued that Ukraine's battlefield successes should be matched by stronger international pressure on Moscow and said President Trump had been impressed by Ukraine's ability to shift the situation on the battlefield through its own technological innovations.
