Senator Lindsey Graham has responded to Russia's decision to place him on a wanted list after accusing him of praising the deaths of Russians in the Ukraine war, calling the threats a "badge of honor."
"I will wear the arrest warrant issued by [President Vladimir] Putin's corrupt and immoral government as a Badge of Honor," the South Carolina Republican said in a statement on Monday.
"To know that my commitment to Ukraine has drawn the ire of Putin's regime brings me immense joy. I will continue to stand with and for Ukraine's freedom until every Russian soldier is expelled from Ukrainian territory."
Russia's state-run news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti earlier reported that Russia's Interior Ministry had put him on a wanted list.
"Graham, Lindsey Olin, American, born July 9, 1955, is wanted under the article of the Criminal Code," the Russian Interior Ministry said, without specifying what crime he is suspected of.
The news came after Graham met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday. During their meeting, the senator said U.S. military aid to the country was "the best money we've ever spent." The Kremlin rebuked his remarks, referring to an edited video in which Graham appeared to praise the killing of Russians in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The edited video was released by Zelensky's office, showing Graham in his meeting with Zelensky saying "the Russians are dying" followed by the remarks about sending U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
After his remarks were criticized by Russia, Ukraine released a full video of the meeting which showed the two quotes were not linked. According to Reuters, the two remarks made by Graham were made in different parts of his conversation with the Ukrainian president.
"Finally, here's an offer to my Russian 'friends' who want to arrest and try me for calling out the Putin regime as being war criminals: I will submit to jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court if you do. Come and make your best case. See you in The Hague!" Graham added.
Russia's Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Graham on Sunday, calling the senator's comments "Russophobic."
Earlier, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said Graham's remarks were a "shame" for the United States.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, in a post on Telegram, repeated Graham's remarks, before claiming the financial investment by American companies into Nazi Germany "led to World War II and the Holocaust."
"Now, billions of US dollars are pouring into the insatiable throat of the neo-Nazi Kyiv regime. In this regard, I would like to remind the senators and all American beneficiaries how the previous adventure ended," she wrote.
Russia's state-run news agency Tass cited Zakharova on Monday as saying that American and British media are trying to convince Russia that "supposedly, Senator Graham's statement was taken out of context, even edited by the Kyiv regime."
"We have not heard a word of any condemnation against the Kyiv regime," she said.
Newsweek has contacted Ukraine's Foreign Ministry via email for comment.
Update 05/29/23, 1:35 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
