# Pro-Trump influencer Laura Loomer visits Bucha in Ukraine and publicly admits she believed Russian propaganda for years
> Laura Loomer, a far-right US blogger close to President Donald Trump, travelled to Ukraine on July 21, visited Bucha where Russian forces killed hundreds of civilians in 2022, and posted on X that she had been influenced by Russian propaganda; Zelensky's office welcomed the visit as an opportunity to show Ukraine's reality

**Meta:** type: event · date: 2026-07-21 · heads: What They're Not Saying, How Wars Actually End · 5 takes · 4 lenses · 2 regions

## Summary

Laura Loomer, a far-right US influencer treated as close to President [Donald Trump](/en/entity/person/donald-trump), visited [Ukraine](/en/entity/ukraine) on July 21 and travelled to Bucha, the town northwest of Kyiv where Russian forces killed hundreds of civilians in 2022. After the visit, Loomer published a statement on X acknowledging she had believed Russian propaganda for years and urged her followers to reconsider their views of Russia. The Ukraine War has become a politically charged issue in US domestic politics, with parts of the MAGA movement sceptical of US support for Kyiv. [Volodymyr Zelensky](/en/entity/person/volodymyr-zelensky)'s office publicly welcomed Loomer's visit, framing it as an opportunity for a prominent Trump ally to see the conflict's reality first-hand. Loomer previously made statements that Ukrainian observers described as dismissive of Russian atrocities.

## The split

Ukrainian outlets (Rubryka, Kyiv Independent) treated the visit as a diplomatic win, quoting Zelensky's office and framing Loomer's reversal as a useful shift in the information war. US liberal press (New Republic) was more sceptical, questioning whether the admission reflected genuine belief or political repositioning as Trump's policy on Ukraine evolves. US right-wing media coverage was absent from the feed, leaving a significant gap in how the story played across the audience Loomer most directly influences.

## By the numbers

- 2022, when the Bucha killings took place, a defining moment cited by Loomer as having changed her view
- Several years, the period over which Loomer says she believed Russian propaganda about the war

## Why it matters

Loomer's reversal, if it shifts even a fraction of the MAGA media audience toward more critical coverage of Russia, would matter for US domestic support for continued aid to Ukraine. Kyiv's decision to welcome and amplify the visit is a deliberate soft-power play aimed at Trump-adjacent audiences at a moment when US congressional support for Ukraine is contested.

## What to watch

- Whether Loomer's stated change of position on Russia persists or is walked back after the Ukraine visit
- Any change in Trump's public messaging on Ukraine aid following the visit and Loomer's posts
- Reactions from other MAGA influencers and commentators to Loomer's shift

## Regional takes (batched by bias / lens)

### Ukrainian independent media
- **Rubryka** (Ukraine, en) — Reports Loomer's visit to Ukraine and her public reversal on the Russian-Ukrainian war, noting she wrote on X that she had previously been influenced by Russian propaganda and is urging her supporters to change their view of Russia.
  > "American far-right blogger Laura Loomer, who is considered close to US President Donald Trump, visited Ukraine and said she had reconsidered her views on the Russian-Ukrainian war."
  Source: https://rubryka.com/en/2026/07/21/amerykanska-blogerka-lumer-pryyihala-do-ukrayiny-ta-pislya-vizytu-do-buchi-vyznala-shho-rokamy-viryla-propagandi-rf/

### unlabelled
- **RBC Ukraine News** (Ukraine, en) — 
  Source: https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/zelenskyy-s-office-responds-to-laura-loomer-1784642066.html
- **Mediaite** (United States, en) — 
  Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/laura-loomer-has-change-of-heart-on-ukraine-after-years-of-criticism-that-wasnt-very-nice-of-me-to-say/

### US liberal commentary
- **New Republic** (United States, en) — Frames Loomer's pivot as a significant but sceptical moment, noting she is a close Trump ally who has consistently promoted pro-Russia narratives since 2022; the piece questions whether the admission represents genuine belief change or political calculation.
  > "The MAGA influencer and close Trump ally admits she fell for Russian propaganda."
  Source: https://newrepublic.com/post/213333/maga-laura-loomer-visits-ukraine-pivot

### Ukrainian English-language press
- **Kyiv Independent** (Ukraine, en) — Quotes Zelensky's office saying it is 'really important that Laura Loomer is in Ukraine and sees things with her own eyes as they are'; frames the visit as a diplomatic soft-power opportunity for Kyiv to reach Trump-aligned audiences directly.
  > "It is really important that Laura Loomer is in Ukraine and sees things with her own eyes as they are"
  Source: https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-welcomes-laura-loomer-visit/

## Across the graph
- Related: [[ukraine-syrskyi-drapatyi-0721]], [[ukraine-drone-russia-0720]]
- Entities: Ukraine, Person:volodymyr Zelensky, Person:donald Trump

---
Canonical: https://rbtfl.xyz/en/n/laura-loomer-ukraine-0721