News Feed, Donald Trump, Ukraine, United States, War, Foreign Ministry, US Election, Ryan Wesley Routh, Russia

Trump assassination attempt suspect has no ties to Ukrainian institutions, Kyiv says

by Kateryna Denisova and The Kyiv Independent news desk September 17, 2024 10:11 PM 2 min read

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi attends a briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 13. (Volodymyr Tarasov/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

This audio is created with AI assistance

The suspect in the second assassination attempt on former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump has no ties to Ukrainian institutions, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said at a briefing on Sept. 17.

The U.S. Secret Service on Sept. 15 opened fire after seeing an armed individual at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Trump was playing golf. Trump was unharmed, and the FBI is investigating the incident as another assassination attempt against the Republican presidential candidate.

The suspect detained in connection to the attack was identified as 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh. Based on his social media activity, Routh has cast himself as a supporter of Ukraine and spoke to the New York Times in 2023 about a scheme to recruit Afghan soldiers to fight for Kyiv.

Tykhyi reiterated that the suspect has never fought for Ukraine as a member of the International Legion or other units of Ukraine's Defense Forces.

"We can see from the news reports that the suspect previously publicly supported Ukraine, but there are hundreds of millions of people in the United States who support Ukraine and clearly diverse groups of individuals," the spokesperson said.

"We urge everyone to refrain from artificially linking the suspect's actions to Ukraine."

Following the incident, President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the assassination attempt on Trump, saying that "the rule of law is paramount and political violence has no place anywhere in the world."

Trump was previously targeted in an assassination attempt on July 13 during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The incident sparked a wave of pro-Kremlin propaganda blaming Democrats for the plot against Trump.

There are fears that Routh's apparent support for Ukraine will likely further inflame Russian disinformation narratives ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Multiple reports indicated that Russia would seek to interfere in the upcoming vote by backing Trump and turning the American public against supporting Ukraine.

Authors: Kateryna Denisova, The Kyiv Independent news desk

Three years of reporting, funded by our readers.

Millions read the Kyiv Independent, but only one in 10,000 readers makes a financial contribution. Thanks to our community we've been able to keep our reporting free and accessible to everyone. For our third birthday, we're looking for 1,000 new members to help fund our mission and to help us prepare for what 2025 might bring.

Three years. Millions of readers. All thanks to 12,000 supporters.

It’s thanks to readers like you that we can celebrate another birthday this November. We’re looking for another 1,000 members to help fund our mission, keep our journalism accessible for all, and prepare for whatever 2025 might bring. Consider gifting a membership today or help us spread the word.

Help us get 1,000 new members!

Become a member Gift membership

Comments

News Feed

11:09 AM

(Updated: November 21, 2024 6:33 pm)

Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

Russia reportedly launches intercontinental ballistic missile against Ukraine — what we know so far

If confirmed, it would be the first time the Kremlin has used such a weapon in an attack on Ukraine.

5:11 PM

Ukraine first country to face intercontinental ballistic missile use, Ukraine's Stratcom agency claims.

Ukraine is the first country in the world against which an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) has been used, Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications (Stratcom) said on Nov. 21.

4:22 PM

Nikki Haley slams Trump's top intelligence pick Gabbard, calls her 'Russian sympathizer.'

Speaking on her podcast Nikki Haley Live, the ex-South South Carolina governor slammed Tulsi Gabbard’s past statements and actions, particularly her criticism of NATO and her remarks about Russia’s "legitimate security concerns" regarding Ukraine’s potential NATO membership.

3:44 PM

Russian ICBM strike would be 'clear escalation,' EU says.

"While we're assessing the full facts, it's obvious that such (an) attack would mark yet another clear escalation from the side of (Russian President Vladimir Putin," EU foreign affairs spokesperson Peter Stano said, according to AFP.

3:03 PM

Ukraine '95% ready' to resume flights but needs adequate air defenses, minister says.

Ukraine is "95%" ready to resume commercial flights, but the key remaining factor is to ensure the safety of passengers, Communities and Territories Development Minister Oleksii Kuleba said on Nov. 21.

2:14 PM

(Updated: November 21, 2024 2:49 pm)

'Putin is using Ukraine as testing ground,' Zelensky says after reported ICBM strike.

"Today (on Nov. 21), it was a new Russian missile. Its speed and altitude suggest intercontinental ballistic capabilities. Investigations are ongoing," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

11:13 AM

(Updated: November 21, 2024 2:21 pm)

Updated: Russian attack on Kryvyi Rih injures 26, damages residential buildings.

Russia launched an attack against the city of Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on Nov. 21, injuring at least 26 people, officials said.

1:40 PM

Merkel describes Trump as 'fascinated by Putin' in her memoir.

"(Donald Trump) saw everything from the point of view of a property developer, which is what he was before he came into politics. Every plot of land could only be sold once, and if he didn't get it, someone else would," Angela Merkel says in her memoir.

1:17 PM

Parliament passes bill allowing first-time deserters to return to military service.

The contracts of these soldiers will continue to be valid if they decide to return to their units.

12:37 PM

Ukrainian UAVs reportedly strike Russian border regions, industrial facility hit.

The airport in the city of Volgograd, lying northeast of Rostov Oblast, temporarily suspended operations due to safety concerns, the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) reported.

12:14 PM

Hungary deploys air defenses near Ukraine, cites war escalation after US allows strikes in Russia.

Hungarian Defense Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky ordered the deployment of air defense systems in the country's northeastern regions, saying that "the war has entered its most dangerous phase."

8:57 AM

(Updated: November 21, 2024 10:56 am)

Russia uses ICBM against Ukraine for the first time as missiles hit Dnipro, Air Force says.

Russian forces launched a large-missile missile attack on Ukraine, reportedly lifting Tu-95 bombers and MiG-31K Kinzhal carriers and attacking the city of Dnipro early on Nov. 21.

10:51 AM

Russian troops suspected of executing Ukrainian POWs in Kursk Oblast, ombudsman says.

Russian forces are suspected of summarily executing Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported on Nov. 20.

9:57 AM

Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant faces 2nd blackout of the week after Russian attacks.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is on the verge of a blackout after Russian shelling of power lines left the plant connected to only one line, the Energy Ministry reported on Nov 21.

9:33 AM

Belarusian who fought for Ukraine extradited from Vietnam to Belarus.

Vasil Verameichyk now faces the prospect of imprisonment, as the Kalinouski Regiment was recently declared a terrorist organization by the Supreme Court of Belarus.

8:10 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 727,250 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

This number includes 1,510 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

5:49 AM

Russia, North Korea agree to increase charter flights following trade discussions, media reports.

Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency reported that the two countries had agreed to boost charter flights. The agreement was confirmed by Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources, which noted that between January and September, over 5,000 tourists traveled between the two countries.

4:30 AM

SBU exposes corruption scheme by two Ukrainian army logistics officers.

The scheme is believed to have defrauded the state of Hr 27.3 million ($662,000), which was funneled through a network of shell companies. If convicted, the accused face up to six years in prison.

2:00 AM

UK defense secretary does not confirm Ukraine's Storm Shadow strike in Russia.

"Ukraine's action on the battlefield speaks for itself," U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said in remarks to parliament on Nov. 20.

1:13 AM

Russian attack in Donetsk Oblast kills 11-year-old boy.

The attack, carried out with Russian cluster munitions, also seriously injured a 13-year-old girl and wounded a 63-year-old man, according to regional police.

12:41 AM

Ukraine to pursue 'diplomatic' liberation of Crimea, will not acknowledge occupied territories as Russian, Zelensky says.

"We cannot spend dozens of thousands of our people so that they perish for the sake of Crimea coming back ... We understand that Crimea can be brought back diplomatically," Zelensky told Fox News.

11:54 PM

Biden seeks to cancel over $4.5 billion of Ukraine's debt.

"We have taken the step that was outlined in the law to cancel those loans, provide that economic assistance to Ukraine, and now Congress is welcome to take it up if they wish," U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Nov. 20.

11:15 PM

War update

Trump assassination attempt suspect has no ties to Ukrainian institutions, Kyiv says

Most popular

Russian state TV airs explicit photos of Melania Trump as they congratulate her husband on election victory

Musk mocks Zelensky for comments about Ukraine's independence

Better late than never: Israeli companies finally reach out to Ukraine to help fight Iranian drones

At least 3 Russian oil refineries on verge of closure, Reuters reports

We asked experts to review Russia's Su-57 fighter jet performance at Airshow China 2024