ZeroHedge says accusations of spreading Russian propaganda ‘false’

Conservative financial news outlet ZeroHedge is denying accusations it is spreading Russian propaganda amid geopolitical tensions over Moscow’s potential invasion of Ukraine. 

ZeroHedge responded on Tuesday to an Associated Press article in which unnamed U.S. intelligence officials said the website has pushed Russian propaganda by saying the U.S. and others were overhyping the potential of a Russian invasion. 

“Well, now we’ve done it – we’ve angered the CIA, and for what? For publishing views that challenge the conventional narrative, such as disputing that an invasion of Ukraine is actually ‘imminent’ as the US State Department and its mainstream media conduits repeat day after day,” the outlet said in response. 

The response by ZeroHedge founder Daniel Ivandjiiski, who goes by Tyler Durden on the website, added, “What we have cared about since our first day, is to provide a platform, a voice to anyone who has a unique, a different, perspective from the one pushed by the mainstream media.”

Some articles on the website were listed as being written by people with links to the Strategic Culture Foundation (SCF), the AP reported, a group that allegedly worked with Russia to interfere in the 2020 U.S. election and has been sanctioned by the Biden administration.

The outlet emphasized it has never worked with Russia and has no links to any of Russia’s spy agencies, raising a speculative scenario of a contributor being a double agent. 

“Perhaps. We don’t know. What we do know is that Alastair Crooke, one of the most prolific writers on SCF website is a former high ranking MI6 figure and UK diplomat, i.e., a former British spook. Perhaps he is now a double agent working for Putin after spending decades spying for the UK?” the outlet wrote.

“That said, we do wish to thank the AP for bringing even more attention and focus to our contrarian, non-establishment views, views which we are confident the record number of Americans who have lost faith in such media outlets as, well, the Associated Press will find refreshing,” the outlet said. “As for the CIA, no we are not going to date you. Ever.”

The AP also cited intelligence officials warning of three other websites with links to the FSB, Russia’s security service. 

“These sites enable the Russian government to secure support among the Russian and Ukrainian populations,” one official said, according to the AP. “This is the primary vector for how the Russian government will bolster support domestically for an invasion into Ukraine.”