Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol with from left: Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., following a meeting of bipartisan leaders of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
- The Mississippi Senator and Armed Services Committee chairman said Ukraine is using long-range strikes to take the war to Russia. Wicker called the bill “a moral achievement,” that is “a clear statement about the aggressor in Russia and the nation he is attacking.”
Mississippi U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R) rose Tuesday to speak on the floor of the Senate in support of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, named in memory of the recently deceased Senator from South Carolina.
On the same day, a funeral service for Graham was held in Washington D.C. which drew attendees from across the globe, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
While in D.C., Zelensky also met with congressional leaders in both parties on Capitol Hill as well as President Donald Trump (R).
As Senate Armed Services Committee chairman and a friend of Graham, Wicker was in attendance at the meeting with Zelensky and the funeral for his former colleague.
Senator Wicker’s floor speech Tuesday urged members to support the sanctions against Russia and Iran, saying the measure “could turn out to be Lindsey Graham’s greatest policy achievement.”
“The Lindsey Graham sanctions bill will advance the cause of freedom, and it will combat Vladimir Putin’s war machine. It will go after Vladimir Putin, his inner circle, and the shadow fleet they use to evade sanctions. It will hold accountable those who purchase the most Russian oil and gas. It also will take aim at China’s investments in Russian weapons production, and it will maintain sanctions pressure on Iran,” Wicker said. “These policies will save human lives. They will pave the way for even more impressive battlefield achievements from Ukraine. The Ukrainians have been resourceful from day one. For four years, the freedom fighters have managed to stand against a country four times the size of theirs.”
Wicker went on to say that Ukraine is using long-range strikes to take the war to Russia. He called the bill “a moral achievement,” that is “a clear statement about the aggressor in Russia and the nation he is attacking.”
“A number of us gathered today, as we’ve already heard, at the National Cathedral for Senator Lindsey Graham’s funeral, and in a few moments we will vote to advance a bill that Lindsey Graham made possible,” Wicker told his colleagues. “Lindsey Graham understood Putin’s calculation, and he wrote a bill to hit Putin where it hurts. We’ll have a chance to act on that bill today. I expect an overwhelming majority vote in favor.”
Following Wicker’s remarks, the Senate moved the legislation forward in an 86 to 12 procedural vote.
However, the fate of the measure remains uncertain as the U.S. House of Representatives gaveled out for the August recess prior to the Senate vote. Yet, the bill appears to have broad bipartisan support as well as the backing of the Trump White House.
President Trump and Zelensky also met on Tuesday with the Ukrainian President saying the two had a “good meeting.” Trump said similar, writing in a Truth Social post, “Many things were discussed. The meeting went very well!”
Senator Wicker’s full floor speech is shown below.
Frank Corder
