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Russian Lip Service

This is an exhaustive and consolidated list of individuals on the political right—ranging from elected officials and media titans to tech investors and internet influencers—who have promoted narratives regarding the war in Ukraine that align with Russian state propaganda.

These figures typically frame their arguments as “America First,” “Realist,” or “Anti-War.” However, their specific rhetoric—such as validating Russian historical claims, blaming NATO for the invasion, or amplifying debunked conspiracy theories—has frequently been cited by Kremlin officials and state media as evidence of Western support for Russia’s position.

I. The “America First” Politicians (Elected Officials)

Legislators who consistently vote against aid and have used their platforms to legitimize Russian grievances or delegitimize the Ukrainian government.

  • Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)1
    • The Narrative: Frequently portrays Ukraine as a “Nazi-infested” state and the war as a US-instigated conflict.
    • The Lip Service: “Ukraine is not a democracy… it is a Nazi-infested country.” She was one of the few to remain seated during Zelensky’s address to Congress and called for a “total audit” of aid, echoing the Russian narrative that Western aid is being stolen.
  • Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ)2
    • The Narrative: Frames the Ukrainian government as an illegitimate “puppet regime.”
    • The Lip Service: Called Ukrainians “cannon fodder” (a direct Kremlin talking point) and stated, “Ukraine is not our ally. Russia is not our enemy.”
  • Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL)
    • The Narrative: Focuses on the “Azov Battalion” to characterize the Ukrainian military as far-right extremists.
    • The Lip Service: During a congressional hearing, he cited a report from Chinese state media (Global Times) to argue that the US was funding Neo-Nazis in Ukraine.
  • Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) (Vice President-Elect)3
    • The Narrative: Isolationism bordering on indifference to sovereignty; advocates for territorial concessions.
    • The Lip Service: “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.” He has consistently argued that Ukraine must cede land to Russia to end the war, effectively validating Russia’s illegal annexations.
  • Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY)4
    • The Narrative: Frames aid to Ukraine as a “money laundering scheme” for the US military-industrial complex.
    • The Lip Service: Consistently votes “No” on all resolutions supporting Ukrainian sovereignty, aligning with the Russian goal of isolating Ukraine diplomatically.
  • Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
    • The Narrative: Justifies the invasion via “spheres of influence” theory.
    • The Lip Service: In a Senate hearing, he argued that Russia had a valid claim to invade because Ukraine was historically part of the Soviet Union, stating, “You could also argue the countries they’ve attacked were part of Russia.”

II. The Media Titans (Major Pundits)

_Mass-media figures who have introduced Russian state narratives to mainstream American audiences._5

  • Tucker Carlson
    • The Narrative: The single most influential voice questioning US support for Ukraine.
    • The Lip Service:
      • Biolabs: “Why would we have biolabs in Ukraine?” (Validating a debunked Russian conspiracy).
      • Authoritarianism: Calling Zelensky a “dictator” and “thug” who persecutes Christians (mirroring the Kremlin’s “Satanism” narrative).
      • Putin Interview: Traveled to Moscow in 2024 to give Putin a platform, allowing him to speak uninterrupted on historical revisionism for 30 minutes.
  • Laura Ingraham (Fox News)6
    • The Narrative: Mockery of Ukrainian leadership; framing the war as a “liberal” crusade.
    • The Lip Service: Called President Zelensky’s plea for aid a “pathetic display” and hosted guests who claimed the US was “goading” Putin into war.
  • Steve Bannon
    • The Narrative: Views Putin as an anti-woke ally in a civilizational struggle; frames Ukraine as a “colony” of the Clintons.
    • The Lip Service: “Ukraine is not even a country. It’s kind of a concept… It’s a corrupt area where the Clintons have turned into a colony.”

III. The “Tenet Media” & Online Influencers

_Influencers allegedly involved in or adjacent to the DOJ-indicted scheme where Russian money was used to fund Western commentary._7

  • Tim Pool
    • The Narrative: Aggressive “Ukraine is the enemy” rhetoric.
    • The Lip Service: “Ukraine is the greatest threat to this nation and to the world… we should apologize to Russia.” (Pool later stated he was a victim of the funding scheme and did not know the source)
  • Benny Johnson
    • The Narrative: Mockery of Zelensky as a “welfare queen.”
    • The Lip Service: Frequently posted viral memes and clips framing Zelensky as a drug-addicted beggar demanding US taxpayer cash, a specific character assassination tactic used by Russian bot farms.
  • Dave Rubin
    • The Narrative: Platforming “skeptics” who dismantle Ukrainian sovereignty.
    • The Lip Service: Provided a platform for guests to argue that the war was caused by “woke” NATO expansion.
  • Tulsi Gabbard (Former Democrat, Trump DNI Pick)9
    • The Narrative: The primary vector for the “Biolabs” conspiracy in the political sphere.
    • The Lip Service: Released a video claiming “There are 25+ US-funded biolabs in Ukraine which if breached would release & spread deadly pathogens.” This clip was played on loop on Russian state TV, where she is affectionately called “our girlfriend” (nashy podrugi).

IV. The Tech & VC “Intellectuals”

Silicon Valley figures and investors who use their massive platforms to push “realist” arguments that favor Russian victory.

  • David Sacks (All-In Podcast)
    • The Narrative: The “Provoked War” thesis.
    • The Lip Service: Tweets almost daily that the war was caused by NATO expansion and that Ukraine cannot win. He frequently calls for a “peace deal” that freezes current lines, giving Russia exactly what it wants (territory).
  • Elon Musk
    • The Narrative: Amplification of “peace at any cost” (to Ukraine).
    • The Lip Service: Proposed a “peace plan” on X that mirrored Russian demands almost exactly: formally ceding Crimea to Russia and re-doing referendums in occupied areas under UN supervision (which legitimizes the occupation). He frequently interacts with and boosts anti-Ukraine accounts like “KanekoaTheGreat” and “Catturd2.”

V. The Libertarian & Anti-Establishment Sphere

Figures who oppose the war from an anti-state perspective but frequently rely on Russian security narratives to do so.

  • Scott Horton
    • The Narrative: The US “coup” narrative.
    • The Lip Service: Argues that the 2014 Maidan Revolution was a CIA coup, stripping agency from the Ukrainian people and validating Putin’s primary justification for the invasion (that the Kyiv government is illegitimate).
  • Col. Douglas Macgregor (Ret.)
    • The Narrative: Inevitable Ukrainian defeat.
    • The Lip Service: Consistently predicts the Ukrainian army is days away from collapse (since 2022). He has stated “mostly Russians” live in Eastern Ukraine and called the Russian invasion “careful” to avoid civilian casualties.
  • Scott Ritter
    • The Narrative: Active promotion of Russian military disinformation.
    • The Lip Service: Claimed the Bucha massacre was a “false flag” by Ukrainian police. He is a contributor to RT (Russia Today) and tours Russia giving speeches.
  • Glenn Greenwald
    • The Narrative: Relentless critique of the US/NATO narrative.
    • The Lip Service: While identifying as independent/post-left, his content on Ukraine focuses almost exclusively on “Azov Nazis” and US biolabs, rarely criticizing Russian aggression. He is frequently cited by right-wing influencers as the “intellectual” proof of their claims.

VI. The Fringe & Extremist Edge

Figures who openly celebrate Putin or spread viral disinformation.

  • Nick Fuentes
    • The Narrative: White Nationalist support for Putin’s authoritarianism.
    • The Lip Service: Led a crowd in a chant of “Putin! Putin!” at a conference and urged them to applaud Russia’s invasion as a strike against the “Globalist American Empire.”
  • Jackson Hinkle
    • The Narrative: Viral disinformation “Super-Spreader.”
    • The Lip Service: Calls himself a “MAGA Communist.”10 He posts blatantly faked videos of Ukrainian surrenders, photoshopped images, and the “Z” symbol. He is one of the most cited American accounts by Russian state media.
  • Jack Posobiec
    • The Narrative: Ukraine as a “money laundering operation.”
    • The Lip Service: Frames the war as a distraction from domestic issues and links it to “globalist” elites. He has promoted the work of Aleksandr Dugin (Putin’s philosopher)

Resources

1. The Republican Accountability Project (RAP)

This is arguably the most direct resource for what you are asking. This anti-Trump conservative group maintains a specific database of quotes and a “report card” for GOP politicians regarding their stance on Ukraine.

  • Project: “Republicans for Ukraine” (GOP for Ukraine)
  • What they compile: They maintain a “GOP Congressional Report Card” that grades every Republican member of Congress from A to F based on their voting record and public statements on Ukraine.
  • The “Pro-Putin” List: They have a dedicated page titled “Meet the pro-Putin Republicans and conservatives” which explicitly lists quotes from figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene, J.D. Vance, Tucker Carlson, and Candace Owens side-by-side with the Russian narratives they mirror.
  • Website: gopforukraine.com or accountability.gop

2. NewsGuard

NewsGuard is a journalism watchdog that tracks the credibility of news and information sites. Since the war began, they have built a massive database of disinformation.

  • Project: Russia-Ukraine Disinformation Tracking Center
  • What they compile: They track over 550 domains (websites) that have been identified as publishing Russian propaganda. They also debunk specific myths (e.g., the “biolabs” theory, the “Zelensky is a Nazi” narrative) and link them to the Western influencers spreading them.
  • Key Feature: They often publish reports specifically analyzing how “blue check” influencers on X (formerly Twitter) amplify these narratives.
  • Website: newsguardtech.com (Look for their “Special Reports”).

3. Department of Justice & Tenet Media Indictment

While not a “website” in the traditional sense, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released an indictment in 2024 that provides the definitive “list” of influencers allegedly funded by Russia (specifically RT).

  • The Revelation: The indictment revealed that a company called Tenet Media was secretly funded by Russian state media employees to push pro-Russian narratives to American audiences.
  • People Implicated: The indictment links the company to prominent right-wing influencers including Tim Pool, Dave Rubin, and Benny Johnson. (Note: These individuals claimed they were victims and did not know the source of the money, but the indictment confirms their content was viewed by the Kremlin as valuable propaganda).
  • Where to find it: You can read the full indictment on justice.gov or summaries on major news sites like CBS or AP by searching “Tenet Media Indictment.”

4. The Brookings Institution

A detailed think-tank approach that analyzes the flow of information rather than just listing names.

  • Project: “Echoes Across the Airwaves”
  • What they compile: This study analyzed thousands of podcast episodes to track how Kremlin narratives (like the “biolabs” conspiracy) traveled from Russian state media to popular right-wing podcasts in the US.
  • Relevance: It provides a data-driven look at how figures like Steve Bannon and others adopted these talking points over time.
  • Website: brookings.edu

5. Alliance for Securing Democracy (GMF)

  • Project: Hamilton 68 / Authoritarian Interference Tracker
  • What they compile: Originally famous for tracking Russian bots, they now maintain the “Authoritarian Interference Tracker,” which monitors the activities of Russian and Chinese state media and how their messaging is picked up by domestic actors in the US.
  • Website: securingdemocracy.gmfus.org
    Scott Ritter on Trump’s Ukraine Strategy: Missile Deal Denied, Putin Summit Ahead | APT This video is relevant because it is a primary source example of Scott Ritter, one of the specific figures you asked about, appearing on a platform to advocate for Russian geopolitical interests and validate Putin’s strategic position against the West.