From a Kyiv bomb shelter, Laura Loomer explains her shift on Russia's war in Ukraine

By — Illia Novikov, Associated Press Illia Novikov, Associated Press By — Volodymyr Yurchuk, Associated Press Volodymyr Yurchuk, Associated Press By — Jill Colvin, Associated Press Jill Colvin, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/from-a-kyiv-bomb-shelter-laura-loomer-explains-her-shift-on-russias-war-in-ukraine Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter From a Kyiv bomb shelter, Laura Loomer explains her shift on Russia's war in Ukraine World Jul 27, 2026 1:42 PM EDT KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Laura Loomer became infamous for spreading conspiracy theories online. Now, as she travels across Ukraine to see the damage inflicted by Russia in its yearslong war, she wants to admit that she fell for some falsehoods of her own. A close ally of President Donald Trump, Loomer has completely reversed her longtime criticism of Ukraine and is urging fellow conservatives to be wary of Moscow's propaganda, which she blames for duping large swaths of the American right. "You don't need to listen to a podcaster and let them influence your opinion about a country. You can look at those facts yourself," she told The Associated Press in Kyiv shortly after returning from a trip close to the front line in Ukraine's east. The interview was supposed to take place in Loomer's hotel, but it had to be moved to the building's underground bomb shelter as the city faced another ballistic missile attack. Loomer has remained influential with Trump despite not having an official role, and she said they spoke over the phone after she sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. She also said that she expects to meet with Trump after returning from her trip. Loomer's turnaround on Ukraine has been welcomed by the country's leaders, whose relationships with Trump have been strained at times. But it has also stirred confusion, surprise and suspicion in the United States. She continues to insist that Ukraine is not paying for her travels. As Trump and Zelenskyy prepare to meet on Tuesday in Washington, Loomer said it's clear that her trip has already made a difference, refocusing attention on the war as Congress debates new sanctions intended to punish Russia. "It's looking good for Ukraine, right?" she said. "Going into this meeting next week at the Oval Office is looking pretty good." Loomer says she was 'bamboozled' to oppose Ukraine Loomer had spent years minimizing the war and amplifying Russian propaganda until she made a dramatic reversal this week. "I've come to realize I was bamboozled by Russian propaganda and I came to believe a lot of untrue things about Ukraine. I used to think that this was a country full of Nazis," Loomer told Zelenskyy as she interviewed him for her show on Rumble, an online video platform. READ MORE: Laura Loomer meets with Ukraine's Zelenskyy after her major reversal on the war Loomer blamed her indoctrination on getting banned by American social media pl