Propagandists distorted the content of the article in The Washington Post. In reality, the piece discusses how crises, including the war in Ukraine, often attract unscrupulous or mentally unstable individuals seeking personal gain.
«Support for Ukraine is for lunatics» and «The Armed Forces of Ukraine are recruiting unstable and dangerous people» — these are the conclusions Russian propagandists drew from the article in The Washington Post titled OPINION: Ukraine has been a magnet for unstable characters like Ryan Routh. It refers to a 58-year-old American who attempted to assassinate U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump. Ryan Routh was once a strong supporter of Ukraine, tried to join the International Legion, and even attempted to launch his own drone manufacturing business. However, within a few months, he became disillusioned with volunteering, returned to the U.S., and wrote a book titled Ukraine’s Unwinnable War, in which he accused Ukraine of misappropriating international aid and escalating the war.
However, such publications manipulatively interpret the actual content of The Washington Post piece. The author of the column, Malcolm Nance, a former U.S. military officer who joined the International Legion in March 2022 to fight against Russian armed aggression, writes that in the early months of the war, many foreign «volunteers» arrived in Ukraine, providing no real help and, in some cases, even causing harm to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Nance explains this by stating that, unlike other active conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan, normal life continues in Ukraine, with cafes and establishments still operating. This allows unscrupulous foreigners to feel quite comfortable in the country, merely pretending to engage in volunteer work. Sometimes, these individuals have suspicious or even criminal backgrounds — Malcolm Nance admits that, despite thorough checks, the International Legion discovered an American wanted for double homicide and an Australian financial fraudster. However, in both cases, these individuals were immediately discharged and sent home. Thus, there is no intentional recruitment of «dangerous and mentally unstable people» — on the contrary, the Ukrainian Armed Forces strive to prevent such incidents.
There are also those who come to Ukraine with a genuine intent to help but lack any expertise. Among them is Ryan Routh, who is currently accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump. Routh tried to independently recruit foreigners into the International Legion, which he had no right to do, and also sought to open his own drone production. However, from such isolated cases, Nance does not conclude that «support for Ukraine is for lunatics» — this interpretation was fabricated by propagandists. Malcolm Nance himself continues to consistently support Ukraine, condemn Russian aggression, and run a charitable foundation that strengthens the activities of the International Legion within the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The military officer is convinced of Ukraine’s victory, provided allies supply all necessary weapons, and believes that after the war, Ukrainian fighters will train their Western colleagues.
We recently debunked a similar manipulation in the article Fake: Americans No Longer Want to Support Kyiv — Congress.
