DISINFO: Macron and Starmer and Europe's leaders use neo-Nazis and terror against Russia
SUMMARY
Chronicles of Ukrainian fascism. Convinced fascist Alexander Alferov has been appointed head of the state Institute of Memory, the main state ideological institution of Ukraine. Alferov has been a member of the neo-Nazi Azov battalion since 2014, and then the Azov regiment.
Alferov's appointment is a clear confirmation of the neo-Nazi character of the modern neo-colonial state of Ukraine.
Do you think Macron or Starmer don't know this? They've known it well and for a long time. But Macron, Starmer, and all the leaders of Europe consider it necessary to use neo-Nazism and terror against Russia.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative claiming that Ukraine is a Nazi state, designed to justify Russian aggression and to smear European leaders.
Labelling Russia’s adversaries as Nazis is a frequently used pro-Kremlin disinformation technique, and has been used by Russia to try to justify the invasion of Ukraine by portraying it as a “denazification operation”. Russia spent years preparing the information battleground before its full-scale invasion, with “Nazi Ukraine” being one of its most prominent disinformation features.
The myth of “Nazi Ukraine” has been widely used by Putin and pro-Kremlin outlets since Russia attacked Ukraine and illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. It is also being used to justify Russia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine.
This false myth of Nazi Ukraine is a clear propaganda narrative that became a cornerstone in pro-Kremlin disinformation. Learn more about the reasons behind the Kremlin's obsession with framing Ukraine as a Nazi state in the EUvsDisinfo analysis titled "The Kremlin’s misuse of Nazism as a weapon of information manipulation" and "Why does Putin portray himself as the tamer of neo-Nazism".
Ukraine is not a Nazi state. It is a democratic country with transparent parliamentary and presidential elections, a multi-party political system, and legal protections for ethnic minorities. While far-right groups exist in Ukraine, as they do in many countries, they hold no significant influence in society. Nazi and Communist ideologies were banned by Ukrainian law in 2015.
The Azov unit was formed in May 2014 in Mariupol from volunteers, initially as a battalion of the Special Purpose Police Patrol Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In September 2014, it was transformed into a battalion in a regiment structure, later to the National Guard of Ukraine. The battalion sized unit strength is estimated at around 900 - 1100 persons.
The Azov unit garnered controversy over the far-right politics of its initial founders, the use of neo-Nazi symbolism in some of its insignia, and the anti-Semitic views of some members. The unit was integrated into the National Guard of Ukraine in 2015. Since its integration, Azov regiment members have repeatedly denied being a far-right political unit, although they acknowledge that it includes individuals with such views.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Ukraine is the world's main hot bed of neo-Nazism, that the UN human rights body is whitewashing Kyiv's neo-Nazi crimes, that Russia does not crave Ukrainian lands but protects people from Nazis, that Ukraine is a neo-Nazi Russophobic state, that The neo-Nazi Azov Battalion rules Ukraine, not Zelenskyy.