'One-way ticket. I'll die here': Alleged Donald Trump gunman Ryan Wesley Routh was a staunch Ukraine lover, called Putin 'barbaric'

News and information about the alleged gunman who targeted former US President Donald Trump are coming in rapidly. According to recent reports, Ryan Wesley Routh, who attempted to assassinate Trump while he was playing golf yesterday, was a fervent supporter of Ukraine.

The Guardian reports that in April 2022, just days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Routh traveled to the war-torn country. When asked by The Guardian what he was doing, Routh purportedly replied, "One-way ticket. I’ll die here."

Following these revelations, Ukrainian officials have broadly disavowed Routh. In a statement to CNN, Ukrainian armed forces described his ideas as "delusional" and firmly denied any collaboration with him. Oleksandr Shaguri, a representative from Ukraine's foreign legion, stated, "We did not even respond to his contact; there was nothing worth responding to."

The Guardian also reported Routh’s detailed comments. He claimed that Ukraine was a civilized country, in stark contrast to Russia, which he described as "barbaric and idiotic." He remarked, “Ukraine is a civilized society. Apparently, Russia is not. Apparently, it’s barbaric and idiotic. This is 2022, not the Hitler era or World War I. We are all supposed to be educated and intelligent, but apparently, Putin doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong.”

On Monday, the Kremlin quickly seized on Routh’s pro-Ukraine stance, using his connections to underscore the risks of “playing with fire” – a veiled critique of U.S. support for Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the incident, asserting that political violence has no place anywhere, and expressed relief, stating, “I am glad to hear that Donald Trump is safe and unharmed.”