Pro-Russia Democrat seeking to unseat Republican critic of Vladimir Putin in Kentucky House race

An unusual dynamic has taken root in the race for Kentucky's Sixth Congressional District which is currently served by United States Representative Andy Barr, a five-term conservative Republican and senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Barr has published issued harsh rebukes of both Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and President Joe Biden's performance as the de facto leader of the Western coalition aiding Ukraine in its defense.

Barr is facing off against an opponent who disseminates Kremlin propaganda in defense of Putin and blames the "special military operation" on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's expansion into Eastern Europe. That candidate is Geoff Young, an otherwise progressive Democrat and a self-described supporter of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) whose nomination has been nearly universally shunned by party bigwigs including Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and former President Barack Obama.

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Young delineated his stances in an interview with Newsweekthat was published on Tuesday.

"My position is that ever since 2014, the main aggressors and mass murderers in Eastern Europe have been the United States, NATO and a group of well-armed Ukrainian Nazis supported by and armed by the United States," he said. "We're not defending democracy. We're not defending the Ukrainian people. We are trying to, or have been trying to for the last eight years, set up a NATO base consisting of the entire territory of Ukraine, and point those weapons at Russia."

The magazine explained that "while Russian perspectives on the war have primarily found inroads in the right-wing of American politics, Young's beliefs represent an increasing subset of the anti-war left that has become receptive to narratives perpetuated by countries like China and Russia critical of American imperialism."

The story continues at this link.

Late Tuesday evening, Young wrote on Twitter that "I'd like to compliment Nick Reynolds for being a good interviewer over the phone and for representing my positions accurately & fairly. But I'm not 'siding with Putin.' I'm siding with the Ukrainian people, who have been suffering under fascism since 2014."

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