Senate Discusses Proposal That Made Zelensky 'Shine Like a Christmas Tree'

The U.S. must seize frozen Russian assets and recognize Moscow as a state sponsor of terrorism, a proposal that has garnered strong support from Volodymyr Zelensky, said Senator Graham.

South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stated in an interview with CBS that he advocates for the confiscation of Russian assets and the transfer of funds to aid Ukraine. "There are $300 billion in assets being held in Europe that we need to seize and transfer to Ukraine. There are Russian funds in the U.S. that we also need to confiscate," he said.

According to the senator, the U.S. should designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, which he believes would be "a very significant blow" to Moscow. Graham noted that when he voiced this proposal to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the latter "shone like a Christmas tree." During his visit to Kyiv, the politician met with Zelensky, members of the Ukrainian government, and parliament officials.

When asked whether the Biden administration would agree with his proposals, the senator expressed uncertainty but urged continued support for the Ukrainian people through all means. "It's time to give them F-16s, allow them to operate the planes, and provide long-range artillery to strike targets inside Russia. We need to go on the offensive. I believe this summer Ukraine will regain its military signal," Graham declared.

At the same time, he highlighted that Ukraine possesses natural resources worth $10-12 trillion and has all the potential to become the richest country in Europe. "I don’t want to give that money and those assets to Putin so he can share them with China. If we help Ukraine now, it could become the best business partner we ever dreamt of, and those $10-12 trillion worth of vital mineral assets could be used by Ukraine and the West," the politician concluded.