If the United States does not sufficiently support Ukraine in its war against Russia, it will send a signal to China that it may seize Taiwan, a senior senator said during a visit to Kyiv on Friday, Reuters reported.

Republican Lindsey Graham, after meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, said that US President Joe Biden should send more weapons to Ukraine in addition to the more than $35 billion worth of weapons and military equipment already provided.

A tough line on China is one of the few bipartisan policies in the deeply divided US Congress.

Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory. China’s military has conducted exercises, fired missiles over Taiwan and cut military ties with Washington after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the self-ruled island in August 2022.

“You can’t refuse to help Ukraine, because if we fail here, that’s where Taiwan will go,” Graham told reporters.

“If you’re running for president, as a Republican or a Democrat, I don’t know how you can argue that we’re stronger against China if we pull the plug on Ukraine — it doesn’t make any sense. I want the Chinese to see that invading a neighbor is not as easy as it sounds,” he said.

“The best way to protect Taiwan and the world order is to lose to Putin”

For Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive to be successful, its forces will need bigger and better weapons, such as U.S. F-16 fighter jets and longer-range weapons, Graham said.

“There are important weapons, and we have been too slow to deliver important weapons to the Ukrainian military … my message to the Biden administration is this: I appreciate what you have done. You need to do more,” Graham said.