On Twitter, Graham wonders if there is a “Brutus” who can kill Putin and end the war. “Or is there a more successful version of Colonel von Stauffenberg in the Russian army?” it sounds. “The only way to make this stop is for someone in Russia to take out this guy. You would be doing your country – and the world – a great service.”
Brutus was a Roman senator and one of the conspirators who murdered Julius Caesar, while Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg of the German army is best known for his attempt to kill Adolf Hitler in 1944. Hitler survived, von Stauffenberg was executed.
According to the American senator, the Russians must therefore work hard: “If you don’t want to live the rest of your life in darkness, isolated from the rest of the world in abject poverty (…) you have to take action yourself”.
Russia immediately criticized Graham’s appeal. Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov called the comments “unacceptable and outrageous” and called for “a strong condemnation of the criminal statements”.
But there is also criticism from Republican quarters. “This is an extremely bad idea,” Republican Senator Ted Cruz (51) tweeted. The United States must impose “massive economic sanctions” on Russia, boycott Russian oil and gas and provide military aid to Ukraine. “But we should not call for the murder of heads of state.”