At Washington National Cathedral, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the farewell ceremony for U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away on July 11. The ceremony was attended by President of the United States Donald Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, members of Congress, and Senator Graham’s family and loved ones.
Lindsey Graham was one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine among members of the U.S. Republican Party. During the years of Russia’s full-scale aggression, he visited our country 10 times. Lindsey Graham supported bills that strengthened Ukraine’s defense capabilities, deepened Ukrainian-American relations, and increased sanctions against Russia.
Senator Graham emphasized that sanctions should be a tool to pressure Russia into genuine negotiations. In April last year, Lindsey Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal introduced the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, a bill on additional sanctions against Russia. This year, he continued to push for this bipartisan bill, which provides, in particular, for a 100% tariff on countries that purchase Russian energy and additional restrictions on Russia’s shadow fleet.
Following the passing of Lindsey Graham, senators who support imposing sanctions on Russia continued working on the bill and have already made progress toward a vote.
