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The Kremlin said on Monday that the Ukrainian links of the alleged shooter in the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump showed that “playing with fire” has consequences.
The remark was a clear reference to the United States’ support of Ukraine against Russia. Washington has sent tens of billions of dollars of military aid to Kyiv in an attempt to help Ukrainian forces defeat Russia.
Asked about what the FBI called an apparent assassination attempt on Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “It is not us who should be thinking, it is the U.S. intelligence services who should be thinking. In any case, playing with fire has its consequences.”
Peskov, when asked if the assassination attempt risked destabilizing the United States, said it was not really Russia’s business, though Russia was monitoring the situation.
“We see how tense the situation is there, including between political competitors,” Peskov said. “The political struggle is escalating, and a variety of methods are being used.”
CNN, Fox News and the New York Times identified the suspect as Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, citing unidentified law enforcement officials.
Three social media accounts bearing Routh’s name suggest he was an avid supporter of Ukraine in its war against Russia.
The New York Times reported it had interviewed Routh in 2023 for an article about Americans who were volunteering to help the Ukraine war effort.
Routh told the Times he’d traveled to Ukraine and spent several months there in 2022 and was trying to recruit Afghan soldiers who fled the Taliban to fight in Ukraine.
Routh has had his first appearance in federal court.
During an eight-minute hearing, prosecutors levied two charges against him: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
Officials said Routh could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the first charge, and a possible five-year sentence on the second charge.
A bond hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 23, and a probable cause hearing or arraignment has been set for Sept. 30, depending on whether the government secures an indictment on the charges.
During the hearing, Routh gave routine information to court officials about his work status and income. Speaking in a soft voice, he said that he was working and making around $3,000 a month, but has zero savings.
Routh said that he has no real estate or assets, aside from two trucks worth about $1,000, both located in Hawaii.
Routh also said that he has a 25-year-old son, whom he sometimes supports.
