In a podcast on Wednesday, Stephen K. Bannon, the former Trump adviser, also praised Putin as “anti-wake.” He suggested that the Ukrainian conflict was “not our struggle”.
After the Russian attack began, some online users explained Mr Putin’s motives by mixing them with conspiracy theories about Covid-19. A Twitter account called War Clandestine stated that Mr Putin was targeting biolabs in Ukraine operated by the United States. The idea was made more believable, the author said, due to the conspiracy theory that the United States developed Covid-19 in a lab in Wuhan, China.
Pro-American influencers such as Mikel Crump and John Basham, who together have 99,200 followers, strengthened the thread. Twitter later suspended the War Clandestine account, plus a second from the same user, for trying to circumvent the ban, but people continued to post screenshots of the thread online.
Twitter said the user’s accounts have been permanently suspended for violating its abusive behavior policy and that it is checking for new stories that break the rules. Mr Crump and Mr Basham did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some pro-Russian commentators insisted they were right. Many blamed Mr. Biden for bringing up old conspiracy theories about his son Hunter and Hunter’s work at a Ukrainian gas company when Mr. Biden was vice president and engaged in diplomatic efforts with the country. There was no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens, but conservatives seized on the story during the 2020 election.
When asked for comment, Mr. Oltmann, the conservative podcaster: “You really have no idea about Ukraine. People support Russia because you didn’t do the right thing when it came to Biden’s fraud and corruption. I pray for the people of Ukraine, but also pray that the people who facilitated the evil communist agenda in the US are held accountable.”
In an email, Ms Owens, the talk show’s conservative host, also said the war between Russia and Ukraine was Mr Biden’s fault. “Ukrainians are dying because of the Biden family’s criminal connections and the urge to fuel conflict in the region,” she said.
