Senator Lindsey Graham (RC) said on Wednesday that Russia’s war on Ukraine will not end unless Russian President Vladimir Putin is ousted.
Graham, who has a long history of alleged foreign meddling and has been met with protests over his previous call to assassinate Putin, made his comments on Fox News on the day Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with President Joe Biden and gave an impassioned speech. in a joint session of Congress.
“How does this war end?” Graham said. “When Russia collapses and they take out Putin. Other than that, the war will continue. The demand of the Ukrainians to give Russia a part of their country after all this death and destruction is not going to happen. To signal a ceasefire, Russia will take the opportunity to rearm and attack again. So we are there to win it, and the only way to win it is to destroy the Russian military and for someone in Russia to remove Putin to give the Russian people a new chance at life.”
Zelenskyi called on the United States to continue helping in the fight against Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February.
“We have artillery. Is enough? Honestly, not really… Your money is not charity. It is an investment in global security and diplomacy that we manage in the most responsible way,” Zeleneksyy said during his speech to Congress. “Your prosperity is the product of your national security, the result of your struggle for independence and your many victories. And we Ukrainians will go through our war of independence and freedom with dignity and success.”
Graham’s opinion is not one of consensus. After calling for Putin’s assassination in March, the White House press secretary at the time said “that’s not the position of the United States government, and it’s certainly not a statement you’d hear from anyone working in this administration”. according to NPR.
Other Republicans also called out Graham at the time, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) calling it “an exceptionally bad idea.”
Vocal far-right politicians like Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) have opposed billions in aid to Ukraine, and conservative personalities like Fox News’ Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump Jr. they started insulting Zelensky.
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