Global reaction to second Donald Trump assassination attempt: Condemnation and conspiracies

Ukraine’s officials warned that Russia would seize on the suspect’s identification as a pro-Ukraine activist to fuel propaganda in support of the war.

“In the future, the enemy will launch a number of conspiracy theories about the ‘Ukrainian trail.’ Of course, all this is a lie. But information confrontation is a component of the war,” the head of the National Security and Defence Council’s Centre for Combating Disinformation wrote on Telegram.

The International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine and the Azov Brigade said Monday that Routh was never “a part of, associated with, or linked to” the country’s foreign volunteer units.

“We believe that the spread of the narrative about the possible connection between Azov and Ryan Wesley Routh is playing along with Russian propaganda and discredits the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the National Guard of Ukraine and the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine in general,” Azov said in a statement.