https://texty.org.ua/projects/112617/roller-coaster/
Roller Coaster — Тексти.org.ua
In April 2022, Congressman Mark Amodei praised Ukrainians for their efforts in fighting for their independence and emphasized the importance of supporting them. He backed all pro-Ukrainian initiatives in Congress. However, in April 2024, he unexpectedly voted against allocating aid to Ukraine.
In September 2023, Senators Tom Cotton and Lindsey Graham wrote a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to provide Ukraine with ATACMS missiles ranging from 165 to 270 kilometers, depending on the particular model. By February 2024, however, they voted against a bill proposing aid for Ukraine, only to vote in favor of it in April. Graham and Cotton are not the only flip-flopping politicians in the U.S. Congress.
Such inconsistency in decisions can also be observed in other American politicians. Why do these fluctuations occur?
Texty.org.ua decided to research the reasons expressed by the media and expert communities contributing to political discordance within the decision-making establishment.
As a result, we identified a wide range of groups opposing support for Ukraine, from Trump supporters to communists, and explored the ecosystem of mutual support among those who hold this position.The Methodology
During the first year of Russia’s full-scale invasion, support from the American people for weapons and funding for Ukraine was crucial to its ability to hold off and push back against Russian aggression. Millions of Americans across the political spectrum continue to support Ukraine fervently. Yet, towards the end of 2023, the U.S. government paused its financial and military assistance for six months.
House Speaker Mike Johnson delayed putting the relevant bills up for a vote for several months despite theoretical bipartisan support.
Ultimately, the House of Representatives passed the aid package on April 20, 2024, although Donald Trump’s allies worked vigorously to block it. In the end, 112 Republican members voted against the aid.
April 20th 2024. “Ukrainian flags fly in the chamber of the UNITED STATES House of Representatives as they vote to send more of your hard-earned money to a corrupt foreign regime. And just like that, they shout ‘UKRAINE! UKRAINE!’ while happily working to secure Ukraine’s borders, not ours,” Senator Rand Paul wrote in a post on X.
The delay has had severe consequences on the Ukrainian front, leading to increased casualties among Ukrainian troops and a gradual retreat by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The events in the U.S. Congress are merely the surface of deeper issues. Numerous NGOs, well-known activists, and political commentators in the U.S. consistently advocate for American isolationism and oppose support for Ukraine.
Their stance is significant in the context of the ongoing war, given Ukraine’s heavy reliance on U.S. assistance, which is increasingly challenging to secure.
We’ve identified a broad spectrum of aid opponents, ranging from Trump supporters to communists, and examined their connections.
While our research does not cover every public figure opposing aid to Ukraine, it highlights prominent individuals and common arguments that often mirror Kremlin propaganda.
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There are 391 individuals and 76 organizations in our list. These include politicians, political movements and groups, media and journalists, experts, and think tanks (some individuals appear in multiple categories).
A little more than half of the individuals in this sample are right-wing, about one in eight are left-wing, and the rest do not associate themselves with a specific ideological platform. The right-wing individuals are mostly politicians affiliated with the Trump wing of the Republican Party. Most of the left-wing individuals are anti-war activists and left-leaning parties that urge the government to stop funding Ukraine. Most of the media, journalists, experts, and think tanks in this list do not have a clear right or left bias.
Out of these, 50 individuals have collaborated with Russian media and government-funded initiatives during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine (after February 24, 2022). Some have moved to Russia and the occupied territories of Ukraine. Around 30 journalists and influencers work as reporters and contributors for Russian media and also serve as observers at illegal referendums in Russian-occupied territories.
Over 30 individuals and organizations on the list have been noted for spreading conspiracy theories. Two-thirds of these conspiracy theorists belong to the media sector, less than a third are involved in politics, and only three are from the expert community.
In the political realm, we have identified politicians, political parties and movements, civil society organizations, political activists, and investors in political forces. Nearly all the politicians are members of the Republican Party, except two Libertarians and leaders of a few small left-wing political groups. The left-wing predominates among the political activists and movements, primarily pacifists. This group also includes a small political faction of Democrats known as “The Squad” in the U.S. Congress. We also included several business people and venture capitalists in the political sphere, as they fund politicians who demand an end to support for Ukraine. These are primarily investors in Republican politicians.
We included 116 members of the U.S. House of Representatives (out of a total of 435) and 21 senators (out of 100) who did not support the bill for aid to Ukraine in April 2024. All of them are members of the Republican Party. The majority are supporters of Donald Trump, who also advocate for suspending support for Ukraine.
The list includes around 100 journalists and over 30 media outlets, with only one being mainstream. Among the media professionals are many podcast creators and political talk show hosts. Those who have been banned from mainstream social networks and media platforms have created their channels for disseminating information, including private ones.
The approximately 30 influencers on the list hold diverse beliefs. Among them are left-wing and right-wing, as well as those who work for Russian media or have relocated to Russia. Some belong to the expert community, others are political activists, and some are journalists. However, they all have large social media followings, ranging from thousands to millions of followers.
This list includes around 30 right-wing media figures and up to 10 left-wing ones. The ideological platform of the majority (around 90) is not clearly defined. Two-thirds of the media organizations lean towards right-wing ideology, with a few being left-wing. Right-wing media predominantly advocate for isolationism concerning the war in Ukraine. Left-wing outlets call for an end to the bloodshed by stopping the supply of weapons to Ukraine.
We included 30 think tanks and over 80 experts, including academics, veterans, political consultants, and former politicians. Many of the experts advocate U.S. isolationist policies and represent think tanks, anti-war, and climate initiatives.
The ideological platform of most experts and think tanks in this list is not clearly defined (including some Russian projects). About three dozen have a right-wing bias. Among them are projects associated with billionaire Charles Koch and politician Donald Trump. Around fifteen leans towards the left. While their arguments vary, their conclusions are often similar: either reduce the aid to Ukraine or stop it altogether.
Roller Coaster — Тексти.org.ua
See more detailed infographics on listed entities here.
Investors and Venture Capitalists
The technologies from Starlink and Palantir, owned by Elon Musk and Peter Thiel are aiding Ukrainians in their conflict, necessitating an explanation for their inclusion in this list. After Elon Musk acquired the “Twitter” network (now X), Russian propaganda significantly ramped up on the platform. He frequently shares with his 187 million followers a highly skeptical view of the United States’ financial support for Ukraine, aligning with Russian narratives.
Peter Thiel, the founder of PayPal and Palantir, advocates for isolationism in modern US politics and is a key investor in influential Republicans like Blake Masters and J.D. Vance, who are known for blocking aid to Ukraine. In 2021, Peter Thiel, J.D. Vance, and Vivek Ramaswamy invested in the social network Rumble. This platform became an alternative for the then-banned Donald Trump on Twitter and the blocked Russian media outlet Russia Today (RT) in 2022.
Vivek Ramaswamy during an interview with Tucker Carlson for his website
Billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, dubbed “the young Trump,” withdrew from the presidential race to support Trump. They both publicly exchanged compliments and planned to collaborate. Ramaswamy has frequently made headlines with his anti-Ukrainian statements, claiming, “Putin was able to seize eastern Ukraine because there was no resistance there like in the rest of Ukraine” because “the eastern regions of Ukraine are Russian-speaking and do not even consider themselves part of Ukraine.”
“I think that’s a fictitious scenario for a lot of reasons. Part of the reason Putin has been able to seize eastern Ukraine is they have not had the same level of resistance as the rest of Ukraine.”
“The eastern regions of Ukraine are Russian speaking and don’t even really view themselves as part of Ukraine … that is why there was no counter-insurgency or resistance.”Most Ukrainians aspire to Ukraine’s European integration
Ohio Senator James David Vance joins obstructing support for “Ramaswamy in word and deed” with public statements and votes “against” in the Senate.
On April 20, 2023, Vance, along with 18 other representatives of the US Republican Party, signed a letter to US President Joseph Biden stating that “unlimited US assistance to Ukraine should be terminated” and that the signatories of the letter “we will adamantly oppose all future aid packages unless they are linked to a clear diplomatic strategy designed to bring this war to a rapid conclusion.”
Charles Koch is an American billionaire who is associated with several think tanks like Stand Together, the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, the Cato Institute, and Concerned Veterans for America, which have taken an isolationist position regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war and advocate for not provoking Russia, to beware of escalation, and forcing Ukraine to negotiate by limiting military support, etc.What is Isolationism?
The experts of these think tanks, as well as Russian officials, name the US policy toward Ukraine in recent decades and NATO’s eastward expansion as the causes of the Russian-Ukrainian war.Why Ukraine’s victory is essential for the democratic world
Grant Cardone, a training company owner and Scientology supporter who has been accused of fraud on several occasions, has 1.1 million followers on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and writes many tweets like “Ukraine is the biggest Go Fund scam in history. Stop Funding this war.”
Also on the list is Ben Cohen, co-owner of the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company, who funds the Eisenhower Media Network, an organization of military experts and veterans.
ALL ENTITIES
allorganizationpersonallactorbusinessmaneconomic expertformer diplomatformer intelligence officialformer militaryjournalistmediaNGOpolitical activistpolitical advisorpolitical expertpolitical movementpolitical partypoliticianscholarsecurity expertsingersocial media influencersportsmanthink tankwriterallAfrican People’s Socialist PartyDemocraticDemocratic Socialists of AmericaGreen PartyLibertarianOakland Green PartyOtherParty for Socialism and LiberationPeace and Freedom PartyPeople`s PartyRepublicanRussian–allRepresentativeSenator–
Jordan Peterson
person
social media influencer, scholar
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One America News Network (OANN)
organization
media
Republican
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The Daily Wire
organization
media
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Brett Cooper
person
journalist
Republican
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Ben Shapiro
person
journalist
Republican
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Michael Knowles
person
journalist
Republican
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David Sacks
person
businessman, political activist
Republican
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Ron DeSantis
person
politician
Republican
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Peter Thiel
person
businessman, political activist
Republican
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Robert Francis Kennedy
person
politician
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Arguments for ending support for Ukraine echo Russian propaganda
Most of the people in our study do not have direct, proven ties to the Russian government or propagandists. However, the arguments they use to urge authorities to distance themselves from Ukraine echo key messages of Russian propaganda aimed at depriving Ukrainians of the ability to defend themselves with Western weapons and funds.
Even long-debunked myths continue to surface, such as claims of Nazi dominance and American Biolabs in Ukraine and the portrayal of the 2014 Revolution of Dignity as a coup.
You can find the complete list of identified narratives and their debunking here.
Peterson, Putin, and Christian Values
In mid-2022, following the devastation of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine by Russian forces, Jordan Peterson, a widely followed Canadian psychologist, and fan of Dostoevsky who was treated in Moscow for six months in 2020, rationalized Putin’s attack on Ukraine as a defense of traditional Christian values against the corrosive impact of Western culture. This narrative aligns with the explanations provided by Russian officials to their domestic audience.
https://texty.org.ua/projects/112617/roller-coaster/