In a resurfaced video from March 2022, which has garnered renewed attention amid ongoing debates over the Ukraine conflict, the late Chilean-American commentator Gonzalo Lira unleashed a blistering attack on U.S. foreign policy, pinning the blame for the war squarely on Victoria Nuland, then-Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
Gonzalo Lira, who gained notoriety for his independent views and later died in Ukrainian custody in January 2024, described Victoria Nuland as a ”nightmare” figure whose career has been dedicated to exploiting post-Soviet states for Western gain.
The video, uploaded to Lira’s YouTube channel on March 27, 2022, begins with Lira urging viewers to remember key players in global events, likening Nuland’s influence to forgotten scandals, such as those involving Hunter Biden.
He alleges that Nuland, a career diplomat with roots in the Clinton administration, has been instrumental in turning Ukraine into a ”cesspool of Western corruption” since its independence in 1991. According to Lira, her goal, shared by neoconservative hawks like her husband, Robert Kagan, has been to prevent Russia from rising as a peer competitor to the U.S., aiming to revert it to the chaotic, exploitable state of the 1990s under Boris Yeltsin.
Lira delves into Nuland’s personal background, claiming her grandfather fled anti-Jewish pogroms in what is now Moldova, fueling a generational resentment that he says drives her anti-Russian policies.
He accuses Nuland of micromanaging the 2014 Maidan Revolution, supporting neo-Nazi factions like the Right Sector, and even rumours of involving Israeli snipers in the unrest that ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
A leaked phone call between Nuland and U.S. Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt, in which she dismissively said ”Fuck the EU” while discussing Ukraine’s future government, is cited as evidence of her overreach.
The commentator further alleges that under Nuland’s de facto control, Ukraine became a hub for U.S. corruption, with figures like Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi’s families benefiting from shady deals. At the same time, the country was armed and trained by NATO contractors to threaten Russia.
Lira claims Nuland pushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he says was installed with the help of oligarch Igor Kolomoisky, to provoke conflict in the Donbass region, leading to Russia’s 2022 invasion as a preemptive strike.
He also references Nuland’s congressional testimony admitting to U.S.-funded biological labs in Ukraine, suggesting fears of their capture by Russian forces could lead to false-flag chemical attacks.
Throughout the video, Lira’s rhetoric is laced with assertions, including graphic descriptions of alleged Western decadence in Ukraine involving drugs and prostitution, and broad generalisations about women’s behaviour in power.
He warns that Nuland’s strategy risks nuclear escalation and a broader ”hybrid war” against Russia and China, criticising the Biden administration for resuming aggressive policies delayed under Donald Trump.
In a post-video correction added to the description, Lira acknowledged an error in claiming Nuland had no children, noting she has two but speculating she was a ”nightmare mother.”
The video, which has amassed significant views and shares on alternative platforms, reflects Lira’s broader commentary style that often aligned with Russian narratives, leading to his arrests in Ukraine in 2023 for allegedly justifying Russian aggression.
His death in prison from reported pneumonia sparked international outcry, with figures like Tucker Carlson and Elon Musk decrying it as a free speech violation. The video continues to fuel discussions on U.S. involvement in Ukraine, especially as the conflict enters its fourth year.