(DCWatchdog.com) – HAPPENING NOW: The Russian government has issued an arrest warrant for U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham following his remarks on the Ukraine conflict.
The Republican senator from South Carolina responded by asserting that he would proudly sport the arrest warrant as a “Badge of Honor.”
Following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv, the Russian Interior Ministry declared Graham a wanted individual.
The senator provoked controversy by insinuating in his comments that the casualties Russia was suffering as a result of U.S. financial support were a justifiable expenditure.
An excerpt from the meeting, disseminated by Zelenskiy’s office, showed Graham stating, “the Russians are dying,” and characterizing U.S. military aid to Ukraine as “the best money we’ve ever spent.” His statements, however, were made at separate junctures during their conversation and did not appear to be connected, but they were combined in the condensed video clip.
Prompted by Graham’s comments, Russia’s Investigative Committee, the premier criminal investigation institution in the country, initiated a criminal investigation against the senator. The specific allegations were not detailed.
Graham promptly retorted on Monday, posting on Twitter, “I will wear the arrest warrant issued by Putin’s corrupt and immoral government as a Badge of Honor. To know that my commitment to Ukraine has drawn the ire of Putin’s regime brings me immense joy.”
He then challenged his Russian detractors wishing to arrest and prosecute him for denouncing the Putin regime as war criminals. He stated, “I will submit to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court if you do. Come and make your best case. See you in The Hague!”
Graham’s initial video commentary ignited a furor across Moscow, leading the Russian foreign ministry to accuse Western media of shielding the senator from criticism.
The foreign ministry suggested that Graham should publicly clarify if his statements were misinterpreted in the abridged video.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova proposed in a Telegram video, “If U.S. 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. Only then will we know: does he think the way that was said or was it a performance by the Kyiv regime?”
Graham asserted that his comments were meant to commend the Ukrainians’ resilience in the face of the Russian invasion, aided by Washington’s support.
In addition, he mentioned to Zelenskiy that Ukraine had embraced the American slogan, ‘Live Free or Die.’
The senator opined, “It has been a good investment by the United States to help liberate Ukraine from Russian war criminals.”
