According to The Guardian, Tass, the state-run news agency in Russia, first reported the update to Russia's list of "terrorists and extremists." Rosfinmonitoring, which allows authorities to freeze Russian bank accounts, added Republican senator Lindsey Graham, likely as a symbolic show.
The agency's list includes more than 12,000 individuals and more than 400 companies, from domestic and foreign terrorist entities to Russian political opposition groups.
Meta was added to the list in October 2022 for allegedly tolerating "Russophobia." Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and several Meta employees have been banned from Russia or added to "wanted" lists.
Graham, a South Carolina senator and foreign-policy warmonger, has long supported arming Ukraine against Russian forces and has also been subject to a Russian arrest warrant for making "Russophobic statements" during a visit to Kyiv.
"It's difficult to imagine a greater shame for a country than having such senators," said Dmitry Peskov, the Russian government spokesperson at the time.
Graham responded to the warrant by telling Reuters, "As usual the Russia propaganda machine is hard at work. It has been a good investment by the United States to help liberate Ukraine from Russian war criminals."
He said he would "wear the arrest warrant issued by Putin's corrupt and immoral government as a badge of honor."
Where does the South Carolina lawmaker stand?
Graham is a notable ally of former president and prospective Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who generally favors Russia and Putin.
This month, Graham voted against a $95bn defense and foreign aid package that would significantly boost Kyiv.
Graham has backed a $66bn counter-proposal from House lawmakers of both parties, stating, "I want to turn the aid package into a loan, that makes perfect sense to me."
This move echoes that of Trump, who has demanded aid to Kyiv converted into loans.
"I think that's a winning combination," Graham said.
"Let's make it a loan. I think that gets you, President Trump, on the aid part."
Emphasizing the killing of Alexei Navalny, a prominent leader of opposition to Putin, Graham proposed Russia be designated a state sponsor of terrorism.
The Guardian quoted Graham's Tuesday post on X, "I understand what happens if Putin wins in Ukraine. However, many members of Congress do not seem to understand what is happening to America every single day at our southern border. Count me in for helping Ukraine. But, we must help ourselves first. It's time to get our broken border under control."
