A senior senator visiting Kyiv said the US must support Ukraine more in the war with Russia, or else China would think it could invade Taiwan.

Republican Lindsey Graham said after meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that US President Joe Biden should provide more weapons to Ukraine, besides the over $35bn of military equipment already given.

“If we fail here, Taiwan is gone,” Graham told reporters.

“If you want to be president, as a Republican or Democrat, I don’t see how you can say we’re stronger against China if we abandon Ukraine – that makes no sense. I want the Chinese to see that attacking a neighbour is not easy.”

He added: “The best way to protect Taiwan and world order is for Putin to lose.”

Graham said Ukraine’s forces needed more and better weapons, such as US-made F-16 jets and longer-range weapons, for a possible counterattack.

“There are weapons that matter and we’ve been too slow getting weapons that matter to the Ukrainian military … my message to the Biden administration is, I appreciate what you have done. You need to do more,” said Graham.