DISINFO: Direct Nazism is now the norm in Baltic states and Ukraine
SUMMARY
[...] in 1945, Nazism was defeated, but, unfortunately, it has not been eradicated: it manifests itself again in the same Russophobia or anti-Semitism.
The glorification of Nazi criminals and direct Nazi propaganda of Nazism have become the norm in the Baltic States and Ukraine, as if there was no Nuremberg. History has come to be used as a weapon of ideological struggle, and we need an adequate instrument of defence, capable of not only reflecting, but also preventing any blows of this kind. We see not just neo-Nazism, we see direct Nazism, which covers more and more European countries. We see history being destroyed before our eyes, holy monuments being destroyed.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation claim about alleged Nazism in Ukraine and the Baltic states.
Associating Nazism to the democratically elected executive powers in Ukraine (and the Baltic states) is a way of attempting to justify the invasion of Ukraine as a “denazification” operation.
Pro-Kremlin narratives distort and simplify a sensitive and thorny period of Baltic history, during which the Baltics were occupied multiple times by two totalitarian regimes, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. These narratives discredit any opposition to Soviet occupation as “fascist” and continue to justify the Soviet notion of exclusive “spheres of influence”. In the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, these narratives attempt to exploit ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking populations living in the Baltics, sustain Russia’s longstanding Nazism allegations and serve as a justification for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The myth of “Nazi Ukraine” has been widely in association with “western Russophobia” used by Putin and pro-Kremlin outlets since Russia attacked Ukraine and illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine appeared during the Euromaidan popular protests in late 2013 - early 2014, falsely presented in pro-Kremlin disinformation as a coup. The Kremlin has been using this myth since then to discredit Ukraine's shift towards Euro-Atlantic policy.
Read also related cases: Nazism has revived in Ukraine and actively cultivated by the West, Zelenskyy is the heir of German Nazism, West turned a blind eye to Nazism, The US and Ukraine support Nazism, Poland, Ukraine, and the Baltic authorities associate themselves with Hitler.