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A top US Lawmaker has claimed that Russian propaganda is impacting US lawmakers’ stance on Ukraine.

House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) has sounded the alarm over the influence of Russian disinformation efforts, revealing its effects even within the halls of Congress.

During an interview, Turner aligned with Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and said, “Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and it’s infected a good chunk of my party’s base.” Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, Turner added, “Oh, it’s absolutely true. We see directly coming from Russia attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor.”

Addressing the content of the propaganda, Turner clarified misconceptions being spread among his colleagues: “I mean, there are members of Congress today, who still incorrectly say that this conflict between Russia and Ukraine is over NATO, which of course it is not.” He corrected this narrative by referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s broader ambitions, stating, “[Putin] having made it very clear, both publicly and to his own population, that his view is that this is a conflict of a much broader claim of Russia, to Eastern Europe, and including claiming all of Ukraine territory as Russia’s.”

According to Turner, the spread of these falsehoods hampers efforts to perceive and address the conflict between Ukraine and Russia accurately. “Now, to the extent that this propaganda takes hold, it makes it more difficult for us to really see this as an authoritarian versus democracy battle, which is what it is,” he noted.

Turner added that the United States must immediately provide military support for Ukraine. He said, “We need to stand up for democracy. We need to make certain that we know that authoritarian regimes never stop when they start an aggression. Ukraine needs our help and assistance now and this is a very critical time for the US Congress to step up and provide that aid.”