Russia puts US Senator Lindsey Graham on wanted list after his war remarks
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Moscow: The Russian Interior Ministry on Monday added US Senator Lindsey Graham on the wanted list according to Russian media reports, after criminal proceedings were ordered against the South Carolina Republican for his "Russophobic remarks".
Russia's Investigative Committee said on Sunday that it was opening a criminal probe into Graham's comments. It did not specify what crime he was suspected of.
"Lindsey Olin Graham, an American citizen, born on July 9, 1955, is wanted under an article of the Russian Criminal Code," the state-run TASS News Agency quoted the Investigative Committee as saying.
The criminal proceedings against the Senator were ordered by the Committee's chief Alexander Bastrykin.
During a visit to Kyiv on May 26, Graham told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that "Russians are dying" in the war, adding that the US support for Ukraine is the "best money we've ever spent".
In a sharp rebuke to the statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Senator's remarks were "an embarrassment for the US".
Graham, however, disputed Russian criticism of his support for Ukraine on Sunday, saying he had simply praised the spirit of Ukrainians in resisting a Russian invasion with assistance provided by Washington, reported Reuters.
A South Carolina Republican known for his hawkish foreign policy views, Graham has been an outspoken champion of increased military support for Ukraine in its battle against Russia.
Russia has previously added dozens of US officials and elected politicians to stop lists, banning them from entering the country, but has rarely sought the arrest of senior American officeholders.
