Ilya Ponomarev was one of several major boosters of Jewberg’s credibility. For example, in August 2016,
he thanked Jewberg (
archive) in a Facebook post for likening him (Ponomarev) to Pericles of Athens, in January 2017
tagged him in a Facebook post on NATO military capability.
Jewberg used Ponomarev’s endorsement to the fullest by reposting it and adding a lengthy story where he claims that he had met Ponomarev in person while working at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. This claim was endorsed by Ponomarev, who thanked Jewberg for the Facebook post.