Ukrainian military officials have distanced themselves from Ryan Wesley Routh, a man detained in connection with an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
A 58-year-old construction company owner from Hawaii, Ryan Wesley Routh, has been linked by Russian propaganda to Ukraine, but investigations point to his mental instability as the key factor. Though he briefly visited Ukraine and expressed support for the country, the Ukrainian Foreign Legion distanced itself from him due to his lack of military experience and bizarre behavior.
The 12th National Guard Azov Brigade stated he “has nothing to do with our brigade,” while Ukraine’s Land Forces Command foreign legion described his communications as containing “delusional ideas,” according to CNN.
“He was offering us large numbers of recruits from different countries but it was obvious to us his offers were not realistic. We didn’t even answer, there was nothing to answer to,” Oleksandr Shaguri, an officer from the foreign legion, told CNN.
Evelyn Aschenbrenner, a former recruiter for Ukraine’s International Legion, described Routh as having “delusions of grandeur,” according to CNN.
Despite warnings, Aschenbrenner reported that Routh attempted to bypass official channels for bringing foreign fighters into Ukraine.
“In August 2022, for Ukraine’s Independence Day, there was a high-security risk, with curfews in place in Kharkiv and other cities. And Routh messaged me asking to get some random person over the border, and he sent me this poor woman’s passport,” Aschenbrenner told CNN.
While Routh expressed willingness to die for Ukraine in social media posts and attempted to recruit fighters, including Afghan conscripts, Ukrainian officials maintain he was never officially part of any military unit.
He had visited Ukraine in 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion, attending rallies in support of Ukrainian troops in Kyiv. In a video from April 2022, Routh called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “terrorist” and urged global support for Ukraine.
Routh was detained following an incident at Trump’s Florida golf club that the FBI is investigating as a potential assassination attempt. This comes just two months after another attempt on Trump’s life at a Pennsylvania rally.
Related:
- “Political violence has no place anywhere in world” – Zelenskyy condemns attempted assassination of Trump
- Zelenskyy says Trump pledged support for Ukraine during July phone call
- Zelenskyy to present “Victory Plan” to Biden, Harris, and Trump
- Zelenskyy invites Trump to Ukraine, says peace action plan to be revealed by November’s end
