Bloomberg: death of Lindsey Graham deprives Kyiv of key communication channel with Trump

The sudden death of 71-year-old Republican Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham has deprived Ukrainian authorities of one of their most reliable communication channels with U.S. President Donald Trump.

This is reported by Bloomberg.

According to the outlet, Graham regularly traveled to Ukraine and spent much of Trump’s second term trying to preserve American support for Ukraine despite the U.S. president’s strained relations with Volodymyr Zelensky.

“Now Ukraine and other U.S. allies will have to find other advocates, which will not be easy. Graham had honed a unique skill set combining close ties with Trump, an ability to work with Democratic senators, and strong connections with foreign leaders. Graham remained an important ally for Zelensky, who struggled to maintain stable relations with the president,” Bloomberg commented on the situation.

In Kyiv, Graham’s death was perceived as a great loss, a Ukrainian official told the outlet.

Congressman Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska and a staunch supporter of Ukraine, said that “we will need other senators who can fill his place on the issue of Ukraine.”

Graham died in Washington on July 11 — the day after his latest visit to Ukraine, which took place on July 10. According to official data, the cause of death was aortic dissection caused by atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.