Russia’s Interior Ministry issued an arrest warrant Monday for US Senator Lindsey Graham over his comments pertaining to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Graham made the comments that triggered this action in a meeting Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to an official release from President Zelenskyy’s office, the meeting centered around the expression of “special thanks to the President of the United States, the entire American people for their leadership in defense and financial assistance to our country,” particularly the recently provided $375 million defense aid package. President Zelenskyy also briefed Graham on the current status of the frontlines.
In an edited video of the meeting released by President Zelenskyy’s office, Graham was seen saying “the Russians are dying” followed by: “best money we’ve ever spent.” However, a longer video of the meeting released Sunday after Russian officials expressed disapproval demonstrates that Graham’s two comments were in fact separate and not connected. Following the release of the longer video, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova offered Graham an opportunity to clarify his remarks. In a Telegram video, she said “If US Senator Lindsey Graham considers his words were taken out of context by the Ukrainian regime and he doesn’t actually think in the way presented then he can make a statement on video with his phone.”
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized Graham’s comments as “an embarrassment for the US,” while Zakharova said that rhetoric about killing Russians “has long been used in the US.”
Since being added to Russia’s official wanted list, Graham has taken to Twitter to express pride in his arrest warrant. According to his tweets, Graham “will wear the arrest warrant issued by Putin’s corrupt and immoral government as a Badge of Honor” and “to know that [his] commitment to Ukraine has drawn the ire of Putin’s regime brings [him] immense joy.” Further, Graham said “I will submit to jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court if you do. Come and make your best case. See you in the Hague!”