Leaders of NATO allies, Ukraine and Israel paid tribute to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham as a friend, partner and advocate of trans-Atlantic relations on Sunday, praising a figure who was a constant presence on the global foreign policy scene before and during the era of President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
The Republican senator had visited Ukraine just before his death and announced an agreement on Friday with the Trump administration to move forward on a package of sanctions against Russia. <\/p>\n
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Graham visited Ukraine 10 times during the years of Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion, and \u201cwas here with our people when it was most needed.\u201d He said that \u201cLindsey was a true defender of freedom and the values that make our world safer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Graham also drew respect on NATO\u2019s eastern edge, where Russia\u2019s intentions are viewed with deep concern.<\/p>\n
Estonia\u2019s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna wrote on X that \u201cEstonia will remember him as a steadfast friend, a strong supporter of NATO\u2019s eastern flank, and an unwavering advocate for Ukraine.\u201d Latvian counterpart Baiba Bra\u017ee said that he was \u201camong the strongest supporters of NATO and transatlantic relations (and) assistance to Ukraine in countering Russian aggression.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cHis commitment to the values of democracy, security, and international partnership earned him the respect and gratitude of many across Europe,\u201d Lithuanian Foreign Minister K\u0119stutis Budrys said. \u201cHis voice will be missed, but his legacy will endure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Finnish President Alexander Stubb called Graham \u201ca personal friend. A supporter of @NATO and Ukraine. A Transatlanticist. A friend of Finland.\u201d<\/p>\n
A one-time critic of Trump turned close ally, Graham advised the president on foreign policy matters such as Iran and Russia.<\/p>\n
He had long backed policies aimed at isolating Iran and limiting its missile and nuclear programs, cheered Trump\u2019s decision to strike nuclear sites last year and was a supporter of the latest conflict.<\/p>\n
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him \u201ca great friend of Israel\u201d and \u201ca cherished friend of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Netanyahu said Graham understood that the security of Israel and the United States is inseparable and devoted his life to defending America, strengthening the U.S.-Israel alliance and standing up for the free world.<\/p>\n
\u201cIsrael has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend,\u201d Netanyahu said.<\/p>\n
Senate Majority Leader John Thune recalled that \u201cLindsey\u2019s long and dedicated service in the Air Force and in Congress carried him to far-flung regions of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a strong advocate for the United States and a strong ally to freedom-loving countries across the globe,\u201d Thune added. \u201dHe believed in the might of America to achieve good in the world and dedicated his life to advancing that cause.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Leaders of NATO allies, Ukraine and Israel paid tribute to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham as a friend, partner…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15821,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[154,2525,1020,338,79,976,978,81],"class_list":["post-15820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-general-news","tag-government-policy","tag-international-agreements","tag-iran-war","tag-politics","tag-sanctions-and-embargoes","tag-washington-news","tag-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15820"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15820\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ukraine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}