Sen. Graham Hits Back After Russia Issues Warrant for His Arrest: ‘See You in The Hague’

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in Washington on May 25, 2022. Ting Shen/Pool/Getty Images

Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) responded to Russia’s warrant for his arrest by saying he wore their ire as a “badge of honor.”

Graham made his comments after news broke that Russia had issued a warrant for his arrest.

“Here’s an offer to my Russian ‘friends’ who want to arrest and try me for calling out the Putin regime as being war criminals: ”I will submit to [the] jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court if you do,” Graham said in a May 30 press release from his office.

“Come and make your best case. See you in The Hague!” he added and went on to say that he considers the arrest warrant something he’s proud of.

“To know that my commitment to Ukraine has drawn the ire of Putin’s regime brings me immense joy,” Graham said.

“I will continue to stand with and for Ukraine’s freedom until every Russian soldier is expelled from Ukrainian territory,” the senator added.

Graham stated  “the Russians are dying” in a video of his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Zelenskyy’s office released on Friday.

Graham also described U.S. military assistance to the country as “the best money we’ve ever spent.”

While Graham appeared to have made the comments at separate points in the conversation, the brief video produced by Ukraine’s presidential office juxtaposed them, sparking outrage in Russia.

Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said on Sunday that it was hard to imagine a greater shame for the United States than having individuals like Graham as senators.

Graham has been vocal on U.S. support for Ukraine, saying in February of this year that the United States shouldn’t be concerned about provoking Putin by helping Ukraine.

“The British are training Ukrainian pilots. I believe a decision will be imminent here when we get back to Washington that the administration will start training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16. They need the weapons system,” he said on ABC’s “This Week” on Feb. 19.

The South Carolina Republican has also urged his fellow politicians to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism and for the United States to begin training Ukrainian pilots on how to use F-16s.

“They need the weapons system,” Graham said during the same interview, echoing Vice President Kamala Harris’s assertion that Russia was guilty of “crimes against humanity” in Ukraine.

“So, we need to do two things quickly,” Graham continued. “Make Russia a state sponsor of terrorism under U.S. law, which would make it harder for China to give weapons to Russia, and we need to start training Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 now.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.