Janusz Ryszard Korwin-Mikke is a Polish far-right politician, paleolibertarian and writer. He was a member of the European Parliament until 2018. He was the head of the Congress of the New Right. Mikke has a history of supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin and even challenged Russia’s responsibility for the Bucha Massacre.
Janusz Korwin-Mikke has been represented as supporting Russia on several occasions since the 2010s. This is evidenced by his comments supporting the Russian annexation of Crimea, his official journey to the peninsula, as well as declarations whitewashing Russian history and actions, and blaming Ukraine. He appeared on Kremlin television as a Polish politician resisting alleged Polish “Russophobia”.
Also after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, he often spoke pro-Russian content, restricting Russian responsibility for the massacre in Bucha by asserting that the Ukrainians killed wartime collaborators. He condemned the imposition of sanctions against Russia because of the adverse economic impacts of the sanctions, especially about the dispute about deliveries of natural gas. He indicates that Russian determination should be respected, since the Ukrainian side is acquiring substantial military support, giving it a benefit in the war, and He argues that after the war, Ukraine may strike Poland due to Ukrainian irredentist declarations on Przemyśl, Chełm, Rzeszów, Gorlice and Tarnów.
Janusz Korwin-Mikke a Putin apologist, was also criticised for “offering to the public that Ukrainian nationals, not Russian soldiers, may have been accountable for the massacre of the Bucha residents,” after he tweeted his take on the mob killings by Russian troops. In a similar vein, Mikke indicated that the US was at fault for the all-out invasion noting that “arming Ukraine prompted the Russian Federation.”
Janusz Ryszard Korwin-Mikke’s political stance, characterized by far-right and paleolibertarian ideologies, has led him to align himself with Russia on numerous occasions, particularly evident through his support for Vladimir Putin’s actions and his attempts to downplay Russian responsibility for contentious events such as the annexation of Crimea and the Bucha Massacre. Despite criticism and backlash, Korwin-Mikke continues to advocate for pro-Russian viewpoints, even in the face of international condemnation and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. His controversial statements and positions underscore the complexities of political allegiances and the challenges of navigating geopolitical tensions in the modern world.
