Zelenskyy Attends Graham's Funeral and Meets With Trump as Senate Passes New Sanctions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-SC) funeral and met with President Trump in the US on Tuesday, as the Senate passed harsh new sanctions against Russia and Iran in honor of the late senator.

The Visit: Zelenskyy and Trump held a "closed door" meeting, according to Politico (Lean Left bias), which reported that senators who were present said Zelenskyy is finally starting to convince Washington that Kyiv can defeat Russia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also attended the funeral and met with Trump, their first in-person meeting since the Iran war began on February 28.

The Sanctions: Zelenskyy attended the vote, where the Senate passed Graham's sanctions bill in an 86-12 vote. If it passes the House, President Trump can levy a 100% tariff on countries that buy Russian oil. But the bill provides an exception for countries that purchase less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia. Russian imports can be taxed at up to 500%, and sanctions on President Putin and other key Russian officials are also included. The bill's current form includes an extension of Iran sanctions that were set to expire at the end of this year, after President Trump pushed for it.

RELATED: Laura Loomer Pivots on Ukraine After Press Trip to the Country | AllSides

Key Quotes: Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Graham's co-sponsor, said, "Ukraine's fight is our fight. Nobody believed that more deeply and passionately than Lindsey Graham. He lived it, and this vote is a step forward." He also said the bill is "carefully crafted to make sure we are not hitting our allies and that we are getting China and India."

For Context: In February, the US and India reached a deal under which India halted its purchasing of Russian oil, and in exchange, the US cut tariffs on the country from 25% to 18%. Then in March, the US granted India a full 30-day exemption from the sanctions. Over the weekend, Ukraine struck an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea, and Iran vowed retaliation.

How The Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum highlighted an array of different angles from Zelenskyy's visit and the passage of the sanctions. Fox News (Right) opened by calling the Russia sanctions "bone-crushing" and one of Graham's "biggest desires." Politico (Lean Left) offered reporting from anonymous sources who attended the meeting and framed it positively. Kremlin-funded RT (Lean Right) highlighted that the White House offered very few details about the meeting but said it was "positive and productive."

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.