US Senator Lindsey Graham has openly said Washington needs Ukraine’s natural resources and that, therefore, military aid to the country must continue until Kiev is able to “win” its conflict with Russia.

The South Carolina Republican, one of the top backers of Kiev within the US establishment, made the remarks on Friday in Kiev, speaking alongside leader Vladimir Zelensky. He praised the Ukrainians and their purported resolve to fight Moscow no matter what, noting that this means that Americans themselves don’t have to do this, only to provide the weaponry.

“They [the Ukrainians] are sitting on a trillion dollars’ worth of minerals that could be good to our economy. So, I want to keep helping our friends in Ukraine. We can win this. They need our help,” Graham stated.

The senator has long been very open about Washington’s true goals in the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, repeatedly bringing up the “trillions worth” of resources in the hands of the Ukrainians as a crucial asset and the ultimate prize for the US. He also previously described the deaths of Russians in the conflict as “the best money we ever spent” and an all-round solid investment for the US.