DISINFO: The West consciously instilled Nazi sentiments in Ukraine for decades
SUMMARY
It is no coincidence that the Ukrainian crisis entered its hot phase in February 2022. The West quite consciously instilled Nazi sentiments in Ukraine towards its eastern neighbour for several decades. This was done solely based on its geopolitical interests, and it was not concern for the fate of Ukrainians that led to such a tragedy.
In the modern world, Nazism has already turned into a certain political technology that countries use to achieve their specific goals. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict is the result of the centuries-old hostile policy that the Anglo-Saxons and some other Europeans are still pursuing. Russophobia was cultivated in Ukraine for years, and huge amounts of money were spent on this matter.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative about the West’s support for the allegedly Nazi regime in Kyiv, portraying Ukraine as a Russophobic Nazi state which aims to eradicate anything Russian. This claim was made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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 "Nazi east, Nazi west, Nazi over the cuckoo's nest" 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.
There is no evidence that either ethnic Russians or Russian speakers are facing persecution at the hands of the Ukrainian authorities, much less the danger of annihilation on grounds of nationality, ethnicity, or cultural belonging. This has been confirmed by reports issued by the Council of Europe, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the OSCE.
Read similar cases: the special military operation aims to end the Nazi regime in Kyiv; Russia fights against Ukrainian neo-Nazis guilty of ethnic cleansing; European NATO members nurture Nazi Ukraine as an anti-Russian instrument; The West supports neo-Nazis in Ukraine; Russia does not crave Ukrainian lands but protects people from Nazis; Ukraine is a neo-Nazi Russophobic state.