A United Australia Party Senate candidate has quit his bid for election over social media posts praising Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Sean Ambrose was an endorsed UAP Senate candidate for New South Wales but his support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine put him at odds with the party founded by billionaire Clive Palmer.
UAP leader Craig Kelly had called for ‘united condemnation’ of Mr Putin’s actions in invading the sovereign nation, which has caused death and destruction in the country.
Other tweets leading up to his withdrawal commended Mr Putin, referenced conspiracy theories, and criticised Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and the media.
Former United Australia Party Senate candidate Sean Ambrose pictured with the party’s leader, Craig Kelly
‘My childhood hero was batman, My view on Putin is that he’s like Batman,’ Mr Ambrose praised Mr Putin in one post.
‘He’s the good guy that doesn’t necessarily play by the rules and is often misunderstood but he is always there when he’s needed.’
‘Apparently 65.5 per cent of Ukrainians are unvaccinated. The woke fake lefties are now stating that they are standing in solidarity with the people of the Ukraine but wouldn’t stand with their own people yet are claiming freedom and liberties and are willing to see WWZ. I’m confused,’ read another.
On Thursday, Mr Ambrose’s Putin-positive posts culminated in the announcement he had withdrawn his nomination as a Senate candidate with the UAP.
‘I do not support the acts of aggression by NATO against the people of Ukraine and it’s creation of a pariah state and I commend Putin for his fight against the New World Order,’ he said.
Mr Ambrose believes that Mr Putin is in Ukraine to fight the ‘new world order’
Sean Ambrose (pictured left) was the ALP candidate for the Queensland seat of Wide Bay in 2004
The UAP last week also disendorsed Victorian candidate for the electorate of Macnamara, Jefferson Earl, over his views on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Like Mr Ambrose, Mr Earl has posted pro-Russian material that conflicted with the UAP’s own policies.
Earl addressed a tweet directly to Mr Putin in January, inquiring about the state of Ukraine.
‘President Putin. I have supported u [sic] for many years,’ he posted.
‘I am the endorsed candidate for the seat of Macnamara in Melbourne Australia for the United Australia Party. Is there any truth to what the media is saying?’
He tweeted in February: ‘My words about Putin are inline with my thinking and are not a UAP policy or thought. I stand by my reasoning that MAD [mutually assured destruction] and not breaking its balance is essential to preventing war.’
Mr Earl was disendorsed shortly after.
UAP leader and current Federal MP Craig Kelly said: ‘It is very important that the entire world is united in condemning Putin’s conduct to the Ukraine.’
‘Ukraine has become a bit of a swamp for the new world order. If anything we should be commending Vladimir Putin for cleaning their mess up,’ Mr Ambrose said in a podcast
Both Mr Earl and Mr Ambrose have appeared on the podcast of Russian nationalist Simeon Boikov talking about the UAP’s stance on the Ukraine conflict.
Daily Mail Australia has previously exclusively reported on Boikov, a Putin supporter who campaigned but did not run in the recent Strathfield by-election in NSW.
Mr Boikov has called the Australian Prime Minister a ‘complete fool’ who is putting Australia’s national security at risk by supporting Ukraine.
‘We’ve [Mr Ambrose and Mr Earl] got no take on the conflict, but [we dislike] not being able to have a differing opinion to what the party has chosen.’ Mr Ambrose said during the podcast.
‘It’s quite clear to me that Ukraine has become a bit of a swamp for the new world order,’ he continued.
‘If anything we should be commending Vladimir Putin for cleaning their mess up.’
Mr Ambrose cited debunked theories surrounding US-owned Ukrainian biological weapons facilities and child sex trafficking in support of his argument.
Ultra pro-Russian nationalist Simeon Boikov has hosted both of the now-former UAP candidates on his latest podcast episode
Mr Ambrose has previously been critical of the public reaction to news that UAP chairman Clive Palmer had allegedly purchased a motorcar belonging to Adolf Hitler.
When MP Patrick Gorman earlier in the week wrote to block Mr Palmer’s importation of Hitler’s Mercedes, Mr Ambrose tweeted: ‘The likes of @AustralianLabor are no better than ISIS terrorists with their destruction of buildings from antiquity in Syria. Such items of history whether good or bad need to be preserved and respected’.
Mr Palmer has since denied he had purchased the car.
