The Last of the Three Amigos
This piece reflects on the political career of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, focusing on his long-standing commitment to Ukrainian independence and American foreign policy. It highlights his role as a member of the 'three amigos' alongside John McCain and Joe Lieberman.
Why it matters
It offers a retrospective on the influence of hawkish foreign policy figures in shaping U.S. relations with Eastern Europe.
Lindsey Graham believed American power could be a force for good in the world.
Chuck Kennedy / Tribune News Service /Getty July 13, 2026, 10:44 AM ET Share Save More than 20 years ago, Senator Lindsey Graham visited Ukraine for the first time. An election was looming, one that would be reversed and run again, and that would ultimately produce victory for the pro-Western Orange coalition. In the summer of 2004, however, all of that lay in the future. Graham, then in his first Senate term, joined his friend John McCain on a congressional delegation. At the time I was serving as McCain’s foreign-policy adviser, and tagged along.
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