Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday condemned revelations that a suspect in the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump had previously visited Ukraine to support a war with Russia.
“Glad to hear @realDonaldTrump is safe and unharmed,” the president tweeted early Monday, a day after a gunman allegedly pointed an AK-47 at the former president while he was golfing in Florida.
Ukraine was in the spotlight because suspect Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, had previously voiced support for the fight against Russian aggression and taken part in demonstrations in Kiev to support Ukrainians trapped in the city of Mariupol and to try to get troops to help the fighting.
His involvement in the war coincided with him turning against Trump, whom he said he previously supported, according to social media posts.
“It is good that the suspect in the assassination attempt was quickly arrested,” Zelenskiy said on Monday.
“This is our principle: the rule of law is paramount and political violence must have no place anywhere in the world,” he said, offering his “best wishes” to himself and his family.
As President Zelenskyy spoke, the country's military sought to distance itself from the gunman.
“He has never worked here and certainly has no ties to the state apparatus. He came to Ukraine as nobody, just a supporter – and there are many like that,” a senior Ukrainian official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The International Legion of Ukraine, which is made up of foreign volunteers, also denied any links to Routh, saying he was not a member of the group and had “nothing to do with the unit” since the February 2022 Russian attack.
Sunday's incident marked the second time in two months that a gunman armed with an assault rifle has tried to kill the 45th president.
But Routh's attempt was thwarted when a Secret Service agent spotted him 300 to 500 yards away from Trump, pointing a rifle through a chain link fence. After the agent opened fire, Routh fled the scene and was arrested a short time later on Interstate 95.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw said security was lax because Trump is not a sitting president, despite the assassination attempt he faced in July.
Law enforcement sources also told The Post on Sunday that Routh, who lives in Hawaii, advocated for progressive causes online and was a reliable donor to Democratic campaigns and candidates.
