Senator Lindsey Graham has been an interesting case. He has always been a McCain type in foreign policy, preferring to meet our geopolitical rivals with force, and sponsoring proxies against them in any theater in which there could possibly be conflict.

But instead of trying to preserve these policy priorities by resisting Trump (the way Bill Kristol and others have), he has tried to make them appealing to Trump on his own terms. When the subject turns to Ukraine, I think the result is quite awkward.

In an interview with Sean Hannity, Graham provided an entirely novel — and, to my mind, repulsive — explanation for America’s support of Ukraine, saying: “This war is about money. People don’t talk much about it. But you know, the richest country in all of Europe for rare earth minerals is Ukraine. Two to seven trillion dollars’ worth of minerals that are rare earth minerals, very relevant to the 21st century. Ukraine’s ready to do a deal with us, not the Russians. So it’s in our interest to make sure that Russia doesn’t take over the place.”

I would think people who believe the war is about checking and punishing territorial aggression by an authoritarian government against a free and sovereign nation would stand up against the cynicism that we’re in it to exploit Ukraine’s valuable rocks. If I had ventured such an explanation for the motives of Ukraine hawks, I think my debate opponents would be denouncing me for Putinist talking points and referring me to a trial in the Hague.