Last May, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warmly embraced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and urged President Biden to provide more help to Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion. However, this week, Graham repeatedly voted against sending $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, as well as against other military funds for Israel and U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific. He dramatically announced that he would no longer be attending the Munich Security Conference, a significant departure from his previous engagement with global security concerns.
Graham’s sudden reversal on Ukraine aid is a warning to U.S. allies that even one of the most aggressive advocates for U.S. interventionism abroad appears to be influenced by the more isolationist posture pervading the Republican Party. This is a significant change, given his previous criticism of Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy, and his efforts to negotiate various bipartisan policies in the Senate.
Some speculate that Graham’s shifting position may be influenced by the intensity of feeling in the GOP base on Ukraine, while others speculate about his political standing in his pro-Trump state or the possibility of landing a Cabinet position in a future Trump administration. Regardless, Graham’s recent moves have surprised many observers who have known him for his independent streak over the years, and his changing stance has raised eyebrows among his colleagues and the public.
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