In a televised interview Thursday evening, senior US senator Lindsey Graham called on "somebody in Russia" to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
"How is this going to end? Someone in Russia needs to stand up to the plate... and get rid of this guy "The senator told Sean Hannity of Fox News, a conservative talk show presenter.
Later, in a series of tweets, he reiterated his demand, adding, "The only people who can repair this are the Russian people."
The senator inquired, "Is there a Brutus in Russia?" referring to one of Julius Caesar's assassins.
The former presidential contender reportedly pondered if the Russian military had "a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg," a reference to the German commander whose bomb failed to kill Adolf Hitler in 1944.
"You would be performing a huge service to your country and the globe," he added.
The senator, who has been a close ally of former President Donald Trump and has served in Congress for over two decades, had earlier in the day introduced a resolution criticising Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military commanders for committing "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity."
Since Putin started the invasion last week, at least 350 civilians have been killed, and over 1 million people have fled the nation, according to Ukraine.
Despite overwhelming proof to the contrary, Moscow insists it does not target civilian areas.
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