A Grid review of a half-dozen Russian state media outlets found at least a dozen examples of government channels resharing complimentary remarks by the three men. None responded to Grid’s requests for comment.

A Russian-language summary of Trump’s comments by Russia Today told viewers, “Trump is confident that Russian troops will keep the peace in Donbas.” Donbas is the region within Ukraine’s territorial boundaries that contains Luhansk and Donetsk. On Wednesday, hours before Russia’s invasion, state-controlled outlets replayed and discussed the American former president’s comments for Russian viewers.

InoSMI, a branch of state media that translates Western content into Russian, has brought at least eight of Carlson’s monologues and interviews to Russian language viewers this month, a search of its archives shows. “Why is it disloyal to side with Russia but loyal to side with Ukraine?” Carlson asked in one of those monologues in late January. “They’re both foreign countries that don’t care anything about the United States. Kind of strange.”