New Delhi, July 12 -- US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump and a prominent figure in US foreign policy, died at the age of 71 following what his office called a "brief and sudden illness".

Representing South Carolina in the Senate for over 20 years, Graham was one of the Republican Party's strongest backers of Ukraine in its war against Russia and a vocal proponent of imposing tougher sanctions on Moscow. He was a vocal critic of India's purchases of Russian oil and sparked headlines with his remarks four times around high-sensitive global situations.

In February this year, Graham asserted that India had cut its purchases of Russian oil "dramatically" while voicing support for the tariffs impos...