Posted on 07/26/2022 8:39:28 AM PDT by Kazan
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and former Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard have been listed by Ukraine among a number of American politicians, academics and activists Kyiv claims have promoted “Russian propaganda.”
The list was compiled by the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation, founded in 2021 by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to study the impact of Russian disinformation. The center is part of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.
The list—which also includes retired U.S. Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor, military strategist Edward Luttwak, political scientist John Mearsheimer and journalist Glenn Greenwald—does not explain what the consequences are for those who Ukraine clearly considers responsible for promoting the Kremlin’s line. But it offers explanations for inclusion on the list.
In April, Paul said President Joe Biden provoked Russia to invade its neighbor by advocating Ukraine’s entrance into NATO.
He also said: “You could also argue the countries they’ve attacked were part of Russia. Or part of the Soviet Union.”
Paul was immediately rebuked for this by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who said Russia was not justified in invading Ukraine.
Former Rep. Gabbard said that the U.S. had provoked Putin for many years and that there are 25 dangerous biolabs in Ukraine that could release deadly pathogens.
The former representative has been accused of of lending credibility to Russian propaganda.
The biolab claims have also been supported by Greenwald, who Ukraine says didn’t want the U.S. to help Ukraine to avoid provoking Russia into a nuclear war.
Macgregor is listed as having said that the Russian army was highly skilled and “invincible,” while Mearsheimer is on Ukraine’s blacklist for having said NATO provoked Vladimir Putin into war.
Luttwak is listed as having given support to holding referendums in the breakaway Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk.
Newsweek has contacted Paul, Gabbard, Macgregor, Mearsheimer, Greenwald and Luttwak for comment.
Greenwald told UnHerd that the list was “standard McCarthyite idiocy.” Mearsheimer told the news site he was disappointed with being listed as a Russian propagandist, while he defended his claim that the war was provoked by the U.S. wanting to accept Ukraine into NATO.
Luttwak also objected to the label of Russian propagandist. Talking to UnHerd, he said he was not “exactly Putin’s most faithful agent,” saying he has argued for Western powers to send weapons to Ukraine since “day one of the war.”
As well as U.S. citizens, the list of “Russian propagandists” includes political figures, experts and public figures from Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, Poland and France.
Other Americans on the list are: political and business advisor Harlan Ullman, author Paul Pillar, economists Jeffrey Sachs and Steve Hanke, political analyst Brian Berletic, academics Patrick Basham and Clifford Kiracofe, former army officer David Payne, ex-diplomat Michael Springmann, retired intelligence officer Scott Ritter, finance specialist Jason Ross, businessman Mike Callicrate, politicians Geoff Young and Diane Sare, journalists Caleb Maupin and Tony Magliano, retired business consultant George Koo, Republican former Senate staffer Jim Jatras, former CIA officer Ray McGovern, former Virginia State Senator Richard Black and political analyst Graham Fuller.
God damn the neocons here for claiming there is anything resembling a democracy or a free country in Ukraine.
The same thing would be happening here if Biden and the neocons had the power.
Tagline.
Tulsi richly deserves it.
When you Putin lovers can think of a good reason why Ukraine can’t call out foreigners who repeat Russian propaganda, get back to me.
They’re in a war and there’s nothing wrong with it.
MacGregor on their list is a disgusting apologist and defeatist for Russia, calling on Germany to betray NATO and join with Russia.
Okay. Then Zelenski is a globalist puppet. So there!
Oh, and if the shoe fits ....
That’s rich.
Let Russia and Ukraine wipe out each other.
Russian disinformation is a danger to "our democracy" LOL
What angers me is that our government VERY LIKELY supplied that list to Ukraine.
I don’t know much about the other folks on the list. But Rand Paul is a solid individual. And he’s got a vote in a closely divided Senate.
This move by Ukraine is beyond stupid. It won’t scare anyone into toeing the Ukrainian line. But it will antagonize folks needlessly.
Indeed. Supporting that country with all the money Biden is throwing at them is reprehensible. Zog is nothing but a two-bit lying, petty dictator.
The Blinken/Nudelman administration is an international menace.
I look forward to hearing of your exploits on how you picked up an AK and personally went to fight for Zog..... sheesh...
Yawn. Here come the REMFs again. Mommy is calling you to lunch upstairs.
So, a Russian propagandist is anyone who rejects Ukrainian propaganda. Got cha.
Maybe you should volunteer to be cannon fodder for the most corrupt country in Europe. If you want to fight the Russians, then do it with your own money and life.
It’s a lost cause. You fight it.
Was the article about me serving as cannon fodder? I missed that.
Or maybe it’s just that every Putin worshipping leftist changes the subject because they’re always wrong.
They won’t carry the water for the sleezeballs
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