MOSCOW: Russia has put United States Senator Lindsey Graham on a wanted list, according to Russian media reports citing the interior ministry’s database.
Ukraine’s presidential office on Friday released an edited video of a meeting between Graham and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy which first showed the senator saying, “The Russians are dying”, and then that US support was the “best money we’ve ever spent”. After Russia criticised the comments, Ukraine released a full video of the interaction, showing that the two remarks were not linked.
On Sunday, Russia’s Investigative Committee said it was opening a criminal investigation into Graham’s comments, without specifying what crime he was accused of. Russia has previously sanctioned dozens of US officials and politicians but has rarely sought the arrest of senior officeholders.
Graham disputed Russia’s criticism of his support for Ukraine by saying he had praised the spirit of Ukrainians in resisting Russia’s invasion with US assistance.
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev called the 67-year-old Republican an “old fool”. “The old fool Senator Lindsey Graham said that the United States has never spent money so successfully as on the murder of Russians,” Medvedev said. “He shouldn’t have done that.” –Agencies
