Tommy Robinson is a figure known for his far-right and anti-Islam activism, anti-government perspective, warping of the concept of ‘free speech,’ and links with Russian sympathies. He voiced backing for Russia’s president Vladimir Putin. He made a video in support of the Russian political party For Truth. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Robinson extended pro-Russian disinformation about the war.
Robinson has drawn attention to his relations with Russia. In 2020, he visited Moscow, engaging in a media tour that included a consultation with state-sponsored RT, the Kremlin’s English-language propaganda channel. During his visit, Robinson asserted to felt “silenced in the U.K.” and said that he sought a platform in Russia because the West ‘only has a semblance of freedom of speech.’ This rhetoric was taken the next stage further, giving a lecture titled “The Rape of Britain” to a university in St. Petersburg as part of his expedition.
Robinson’s tour in Russia described as an effort to unveil the truth about the UK, was echoed in Kremlin propaganda, reinforcing the shapeless narrative that the West lacks true freedom. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Robinson’s name would have seemed less in the information sphere. In 2018, he received a ‘lifetime ban’ from Twitter, effectively shutting down an effective platform for the dissemination of the hostility and disinformation he often propagated. Nevertheless, Robinson has discovered alternative ways to communicate with his supporters, resorting to less popular ways in the West, such as Telegram, a more commonly used social media platform in Eastern Europe.
Throughout the invasion, Robinson has consistently de-emphasised Russia’s attack on Ukraine and distorted information concerning alleged ‘Nazis’ in Ukraine and the members of the AZOV unit. He presents questions like ‘why is it fair’ and creates claims that Zelensky is taking billions of pounds from the UK to ‘pretend’ he has a democracy. Robinson does this by explaining what he believes is ‘fair and real’ events, coincidentally aligning with the portrayal of Russian propaganda’s agenda. With Musk reinstating Robinson on Twitter (or now X), and withdrawing the lifetime ban, Robison’s voice echoing loudly alongside other agents of influence by the Kremlin. He descants from the same hymn sheet, calling for a ‘cease-fire,’ urging Ukraine to recognise territory, and highlighting alleged uncontrollable lawlessness in Ukraine, aligning his plan with the Kremlin’s.
