NP: On the Ukraine thread

[Thomas Eckhardt]

I take your points. I note, however, that your comment is full of those
"nifty details" that you deem irrelevant when the subject turns to the
Minsk Agreement and Debaltseve or the Nuland-Pyatt phone call.

I might be forgiven if I continue to see a combat unit that sports a
Wolfsangel (i.e. Swastika) and a Black Sun (consisting of Swastikas) in
its banner as neo-Nazis. In Germany, you would be laughed out of the
room if you claimed that some of the people assembled under those
symbols are not neo-Nazis.

In fact, you would not be laughed out of the room but thrown out. At
least I hope so.

But, of course, the Ukraine is not Germany. Different yardsticks apply.

You argue that the Azov Battalion is not really that important. Newsweek
disagrees and says that the problem runs much deeper:

"A year after the deadly riot that ensued when mostly far-right
protestors descended on the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the
presidential election, white supremacists and other like-minded radicals
see fertile ground to recruit and train abroad in war-torn Ukraine."

"'Since the 2014 Maidan revolution, the government, military and
security forces have institutionalized in its ranks former militias and
volunteer battalions linked to neo-Nazi ideology,' Kuzmenko told
Newsweek. 'Without screening for extremist ties or views, their
integration has not led to depoliticization and/or dissolution once
incorporated within the larger body of the government military and
security forces.'

He cites as a prominent example the Azov Special Operations Detachment,
also known as the Azov Battalion or Azov Regiment. It was established by
the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior after the conflict broke out in
2014, and was later transferred to the National Guard. Kuzmenko calls
the regiment 'a highly-capable and heavily armed unit reportedly
numbering 1100 or more fighters that is also the military wing of the
internationally active Azov movement.'

'Via Azov's political wing – the National Corps party; described by
researchers as neo-Nazi,' Kuzmenko added, "the movement has gone
international on multiple fronts with known contacts in Germany's
neo-Nazi Third Path (Der Dritte Weg) party, America's Rise Above
Movement, Italy's Casa Pound, etc.; but also with less-scrutinized
international contacts via other branches of the movement that draw less
attention but may carry equally dangerous implications."

Note in particular:

"'Apparently deradicalizing the Ukrainian military and security forces
of far-right elements is simply not on Washington's wish-list. The same
applies to other Western governments supporting Ukraine.'"

"Kuzmenko called on the U.S. and Western allies 'to treat neo-Nazis and
the far-right in Ukraine's military and elsewhere in the same fashion
they treat them in other Western militaries.'"

https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-war-draws-us-far-right-fight-russia-violence-home-1665027

I have forwarded these quotes before and would still be grateful for
your comments.