Graham had returned from Ukraine only days before his death, following a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv on Friday, July 10, Graham said a bipartisan group of senators had struck an agreement with the White House to impose new sanctions on Russia, an effort aimed at ending the country's prolonged war with Ukraine.
The trip capped off decades of Graham positioning himself as one of the Senate's most vocal advocates for a strong national defense posture and consistent engagement with American allies overseas.
Who Has Reacted to Graham's Death?
As of this publication, President Donald Trump has not released a statement regarding Graham's passing. But the current president once battled Graham for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination before the two became close allies, and he praised the senator during a telerally held for him last month.
"He's outstanding. He's been at my side for a long time," Trump said at the time, adding that "after that fight was over, we were best of friends, and he's helped me as much as anybody in the Senate."
