A previous volunteer for Ukraine’s International Legion has called Ryan Wesley Routh, the individual accused of a second assassination attempt on Donald Trump, “delusional” and a “liar,” disputing his claims of recruiting for the Ukrainian military unit.
Routh, 58, is currently in custody following an incident at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where shots were fired on Sunday while Trump, 78, was present. According to the FBI, this incident appears to be an assassination attempt; however, Trump was reported to be safe.
In a June 2022 interview with Newsweek Romania, Routh claimed he had recruited individuals for the International Legion Defense of Ukraine, a part of Ukraine’s Ground Forces. He also mentioned attempting to recruit Afghan soldiers who had escaped from the Taliban during a conversation with The New York Times in 2023.
Russia has pointed to Routh’s statements to promote the unfounded theory that he may have been used by Ukraine to target the former U.S. president, whose criticism of U.S. support for Ukraine has been notable during the now three-year-long conflict.
Commenting on the situation, former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev speculated online about the possibility of the failure of Routh’s assassination attempt being linked to the Ukrainian government.
However, the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine issued a statement clarifying that Routh, a former construction worker from Greensboro, North Carolina, has never had any affiliation with them in any capacity.
Evelyn Aschenbrenner, an American citizen from Detroit who worked for the International Legion as a recruiter since March 2022, affirmed to Newsweek from Kyiv that Routh is “delusional and a liar.” She had been in contact with him since 2022 and noted that he had never been affiliated with the organization or the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Aschenbrenner, who left the organization in June, warned against Routh’s authenticity on social media since that time. She described him as “hostile” and “manipulative” when he was asked to stop sending potential recruits’ details, including a list of approximately 6,000 Afghan citizens.
“He would become very accusatory if you resisted helping him,” Aschenbrenner recounted, detailing his combative demeanor during their interactions.
Her concerns grew after a particularly concerning encounter on August 24, 2022, Ukraine’s Independence Day, when Routh insisted on transporting a foreign individual across the border to join the Legion, despite heightened security alerts due to Russian strikes.
Aschenbrenner noted that Routh seemed disconnected from reality, portraying himself as a vital asset to Ukraine when he was not, and displayed signs of “delusions of grandeur.”
She was further incensed when Routh publicly shared their personal information online in February 2023, soliciting recruits for Ukraine by providing her phone number to others.
Routh’s communications included grandiose statements about wanting to travel to Ukraine to fight, while earlier posts suggested a shift in his political viewpoint away from Trump, expressing disappointment in the former president’s actions.
Routh’s account on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has been suspended, though Newsweek reviewed its contents before the suspension. In his posts, he showed a consistent willingness to support Ukraine and expressed aggressive sentiments towards Russian leadership.
While reports suggest Routh may appear in a Florida court soon, the legitimacy of his past claims continues to be contested by those within the Ukrainian military circles.
