Alliance with Ukraine advantage, not burden for U.S. – Senator Graham

Graham made the statement to journalists in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"I think it's an overwhelming benefit to the United States to be aligned with Ukraine," he said.

As an example, Graham cited the minerals deal with the United States, which he said is "worth over a trillion dollars." He called Ukraine an "arsenal of democracy" thanks to its drone technologies and also highlighted the opportunities related to Ukraine's post-war reconstruction.

"We'll rebuild Ukraine from the damage caused by the Russian invasion in 5 years of war. The American economy will benefit, will be one of the leading countries helping Ukraine. So, those three reasons alone, I think, overwhelmingly point to the answer of Ukraine is a benefit to America, not a burden,” the senator concluded.

The U.S. lawmaker also said he believes President Donald Trump has been impressed by the resilience of the Ukrainian people, the challenges they have endured on the battlefield, and the way they have changed the course of the war.

"I think President Trump likes a winner, and he sees Ukraine in the camp of being a winner, but you're not going to win this war on the battlefield. But Ukraine is really putting a lot of pressure on Russia. My hope is to end this war through diplomacy. And the more leverage we have over Putin, the better," Graham stressed.

As reported by Ukrinform, on July 8, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump held a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara, Türkiye.