Latest news Ukraine

Ukraine denies any ties between suspect in Trump assassination attempt and International Legion

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on the global community not to link Ryan Wesley Routh, the American accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump, with Ukraine. Officials emphasized that Routh has no connections to the Ukrainian International Legion or any defense forces.

byOlena Mukhina

17/09/2024

2 minute read

Ukraine's battle crucial for dismantling global “axis of evil,” defense expert claims

US presidential candidate Donald Trump. Photo: Donald Trump via Facebook

Ukraine denies any ties between suspect in Trump assassination attempt and International Legion

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged the international community not to seek any connections between American Ryan Wesley Routh, who was arrested for an alleged assassination attempt on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and Ukraine, according to Ukrinform.

On 15 September, Ryan Wesley Routh, 55, attempted to attack the former US president. Routh, a construction worker with no military background, quickly drew attention for his alleged connections to Ukraine. Reports highlighted his visits to the country, vocal support for Kyiv, and purported attempts to recruit for Ukraine’s Foreign Legion.

Russian media swiftly seized on these links, attempting to tie Routh to Ukrainian “Nazis” – a term often misused in their propaganda. However, investigations revealed that despite Routh’s apparent pro-Ukraine stance, the Ukrainian Foreign Legion had actively distanced itself from him, even suggesting they would support barring his entry to the country.

Is the Trump assassination attempt linked to Ukraine or mental illness?

“This suspect has no ties to Ukrainian government institutions and never fought on Ukraine’s side as part of the International Legion or other units of Ukraine’s Defense Forces,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi noted.

The spokesperson emphasized that Ukraine condemns all forms of political violence, referring to a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following Routh’s arrest.

The ministry’s representative mentioned that Routh had “publicly supported Ukraine” in the past, but there are “millions of people in the US who support Ukraine—and, obviously, this is a diverse group of people.” He urged people not to draw connections between him and Ukraine, as “we can see in the media and other platforms.”

“We call on everyone to refrain from artificially linking the suspect’s actions with Ukraine,” Tykhyi stated.

He also confirmed that Ukraine is ready to assist in investigating the incident if the US requests it.

Read more:

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!

To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here

You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter

We are an independent media outlet that relies solely on advertising revenue to sustain itself. We do not endorse or promote any products or services for financial gain. Therefore, we kindly ask for your support by disabling your ad blocker. Your assistance helps us continue providing quality content. Thank you!