Ex-Pres Saakashvili: Russia could not have wished for better time for Graham’s removal as Trump turned towards Ukraine

Georgia’s former President Mikheil Saakashvili has claimed Russia and President Vladimir Putin "could not have wished for a better time" for the removal of US Senator Lindsey Graham from the political scene, saying his loss would be a "catastrophe" for Georgia and Ukraine as US President Donald Trump was turning towards Kyiv.

Writing on social media on Monday, Saakashvili claimed the sudden deaths of at least three political figures had occurred at moments when their removal served Russia’s interests, citing former Polish President Lech Kaczyński, US diplomat Richard Holbrooke and Graham.

Saakashvili described Graham as a friend of Georgia and Ukraine and one of Putin’s main opponents in the United States.

He claimed Graham had met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy one day before his death and had coordinated a sanctions bill targeting Russia with Trump.

"Putin could not have wished for a better time to get rid of Graham. This comes exactly as Trump had finally begun turning towards Ukraine. Removing such a person from the US president’s circle is a real catastrophe for us," Saakashvili wrote.

He also recalled the 2010 Smolensk plane crash that killed Kaczyński and the death of Holbrooke, describing both men as strong supporters of Georgia and opponents of Russia.