Newsmax launches local news channel in Ukraine

The American TV channel Newsmax has signed a licensing agreement to launch Newsmax Ukraine, a localized news channel expected to begin broadcasting in spring 2026. Newsmax Ukraine reported on its website on Monday that the approximate launch date was confirmed by the press service.

The channel will operate under the Newsmax brand and follow its editorial concept. It will be based in Kyiv and focus on producing original local and regional content for audiences in Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and the wider region.

Newsmax Ukraine plans to produce original news, analytical, and socio-political programs. It will also provide Ukrainian-language rebroadcasts of Newsmax content, while developing formats in English and Russian for international and regional audiences.

The channel will be led by Lyudmila Nemyria, who until 2023 was a prominent figure at Ukrlife TV and now hosts her own YouTube channel. Her husband, Heorhiy Nemyria, is a member of the Verkhovna Rada representing Batkivshchyna.

Lyudmila Nemyria owns a 15% stake in Newsmax Ukraine LLC, which holds the Newsmax Ukraine brand. The main beneficiary of the company is Latvian citizen Roman Varlamovs, known as the former owner of the pharmaceutical and medical device supplier Deutsch Pharm, as well as several telecommunications companies.

Newsmax is an American conservative media company founded in 1998 by Christopher Ruddy. It owns the cable TV channel Newsmax TV and the website Newsmax.com. Ruddy, a former journalist, has a personal friendship with Donald Trump. In 2025, during a public offering, the company raised $75 million at a valuation of $1.2 billion, temporarily making Ruddy a millionaire. Since then, his fortune has declined significantly; as of November 2025, Forbes estimated it at $300 million.

The channel has a clear right-wing ideological inclination and is often considered a "dubious" media outlet with low factual accuracy. While it frequently uses materials from news agencies such as AP and Reuters, it presents them with a conservative interpretation, with a significant portion of the content consisting of opinion and commentary.

Newsmax is one of former US President Donald Trump's preferred channels. He has repeatedly praised the network and frequently gives interviews to it.

During the 2020 US presidential election, when Fox News eventually acknowledged Joe Biden's victory, many Trump supporters turned to Newsmax, which continued to question the results. As a result, in December 2020, Newsmax TV surpassed Fox News in ratings for the first time in its history.

In early 2025, Newsmax announced a partnership with the Trump Media & Technology Group to make its television content available on Truth Social's streaming platform, Truth+.

According to Forbes, Newsmax claims over 28 million viewers, ranking it fourth among cable news channels in the United States.