Trump Assassination Attempt Suspect Viewed as Liability to Ukraine, Former Soldier Recalls – Reuters

By Max Hunder

KYIV – The individual suspected of an assassination attempt on U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump was perceived as a liability by some soldiers and volunteers in Ukraine, where he had offered to recruit Afghan nationals for the Ukrainian military, according to a former soldier.

Ryan Routh, 58, was taken into custody approximately 40 minutes after the incident at one of Trump’s golf courses in Florida. He publicly supported Ukraine and had spent time in Kyiv following Russia’s invasion in 2022.

"He was delusional… he believed he was the only one who knew how to help Ukraine," said Evelyn Aschenbrenner, a former member of Ukraine’s International Legion, during a Zoom interview from Lviv.

Documentation confirming Aschenbrenner’s service in the Ukrainian military has been reviewed. The U.S. citizen indicated that she served in an administrative role in the Legion for two years starting in March 2022.

Routh claimed to media in 2023 that he had worked on bringing foreign fighters to the Legion, which was established following Russia’s invasion for those looking to join the fight for Ukraine. However, Ukraine has stated that Routh never actually fought in the International Legion or any other military unit.

"We can see from the news reports that the suspect previously supported Ukraine, but there are many individuals in the United States who support the country, and they come from diverse backgrounds," said Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesman for the Ukrainian foreign ministry, during a press briefing. "We urge everyone to avoid linking the suspect’s actions to Ukraine.”

Messages shared with reporters by Aschenbrenner revealed that Routh was asked to refrain from acting as a recruiter for Ukraine, as he was operating outside of established frameworks. His response was reportedly one of anger.

In one exchange, Routh demanded Aschenbrenner’s assistance in getting a Finnish woman across the border, claiming she was eager to enlist but had been denied re-entry to Ukraine. When Aschenbrenner said they could not provide help, Routh replied, "It’s cool, I’ll tell the world Ukraine does not want help… Why the heck did I come?"

Aschenbrenner said that anyone who interacted with Routh eventually became frustrated with his behavior, seeing him as a potential detriment to Ukraine’s cause. "He sent me a list of about five or six thousand Afghan citizens and their names," she mentioned, though it was unclear how Routh had obtained this list.

When Aschenbrenner advised Routh over messaging to stop his recruitment efforts for Afghan individuals, he began to boast about his life in Hawaii, suggesting that he was unconcerned about Ukraine. "The point is I am happy and not worried about Ukraine… it seems Congress is cutting all funding now… good luck," one of his messages stated.