The recent arrest of Ryan Routh, who allegedly attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump, has sparked growing concerns about his deep ties to Ukraine’s war effort. Routh, a 58-year-old former contractor from North Carolina, had become highly involved in Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, raising questions about whether his connections to international or U.S. intelligence run deeper than publicly acknowledged.

Routh was introduced to journalists by Ukraine’s Foreign Legion, positioning himself as a significant player in the international volunteer effort. He claimed to have close ties with Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence, but the true extent of his involvement has yet to be revealed. The fact that he was trusted by numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, further complicates the picture.

Tanya Lukyanova, a journalist who interviewed Routh in 2023, admitted she overlooked several red flags in his background because of their shared support for Ukraine’s war against Russia. Routh’s fanatical commitment to Ukraine’s cause may have fueled his radicalism, leading to his alleged plot to assassinate President Trump. Some now wonder if Routh’s extremist views were shaped or even encouraged by intelligence services that sought to use his zeal for their own purposes.

Routh’s deep involvement in Ukraine’s foreign volunteer network, as well as his recruitment efforts targeting former Afghan soldiers, points to a broader web of connections. He was even seen in a video posted by the neo-Nazi Azov brigade in 2022. These associations raise questions about how someone with such extreme views could become so embedded in the Ukraine conflict without more scrutiny.

Despite this, U.S. media outlets portrayed Routh as a credible source, overlooking his troubling associations. Now, many are left wondering if there is more to his story than has been made public, particularly regarding any links to intelligence services.