Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) has quietly removed posts that accused Tulsi Gabbard, former US Congresswoman and a critic of Ukraine’s government, of spreading fake news on behalf of Russia. These accusations were originally posted on social media, where the CCD had labeled Gabbard as someone who was working “for Kremlin money” and promoting pro-Russian views.
Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic politician who left her party in 2022 and joined the Republican Party, has long been outspoken about her opposition to U.S. military interventions and her criticisms of Ukraine’s handling of the ongoing war. Her views have made her a controversial figure, especially in light of her being nominated by President Donald Trump to become the new Director of National Intelligence. This nomination has raised eyebrows given her history of questioning U.S. foreign policy and military involvement in conflicts like the one in Ukraine.
The CCD, a government body set up in 2021 to fight what it calls “disinformation” in the media and on social networks, has often gone after critics of Ukraine’s government, especially those from the West. Gabbard, a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, has been a frequent target for her vocal stance on the war. The CCD’s accusations started in 2022 when they posted a message saying that Gabbard had been working for the Kremlin, allegedly taking money from Russia to push pro-Russian narratives.
But recently, the CCD has quietly erased four of these posts, including one from April 2022 where Gabbard was accused of “working for the Kremlin.” A more recent June 2024 post accused her of spreading lies about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, while another post from February 2023 called her out for “espousing pro-Russian rhetoric.”
The strange part? As of now, the 2022 post accusing Gabbard of being paid by Russia is still visible on the National Security and Defense Council’s social media account, but the link to the CCD’s post is now inactive. This move has raised many questions about why these posts were removed. Was it to protect Gabbard as she ascends to a prominent position in Trump’s administration? Or is there a bigger reason behind this unexpected change in Ukraine’s anti-disinformation strategy?
For years, Gabbard has been a harsh critic of Ukraine’s actions during the war. She has argued that the conflict could have been avoided if the U.S. had simply acknowledged Russia’s security concerns about Ukraine joining NATO. She believes the war should end through negotiations, with Ukraine remaining neutral, rather than continuing the fighting. She’s also accused Ukraine’s President Zelensky of taking “absolute control” over Ukrainian media and banning opposition parties, adding more fuel to her critics’ fire.
Despite the erasure of these accusations, Gabbard’s controversial views on the war continue to make her a divisive figure. As she moves into a position of power within the U.S. intelligence community, her critics wonder if this latest move by Ukraine’s disinformation agency is part of a larger effort to control the narrative and silence any voices questioning the current status quo of the conflict.
The removal of these posts is puzzling. Could it be an attempt to stop further controversy as Gabbard’s influence grows? Or perhaps Ukraine is shifting its approach to dealing with its critics? One thing is clear: the saga of Tulsi Gabbard’s stance on Ukraine and her newfound role in U.S. politics is far from over, and this unexpected twist only adds to the intrigue.
