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Putin’s Fascist Allies: Why Putin Should “Denazify” Himself
The claim that Vladimir Putin has come to “denazify” Europe has left many of us puzzled. Where are these Nazis? The president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish, in the end. Many of his family members were victims of the Holocaust.
On the other hand, few have highlighted how close Putin is to real fascists in Europe. In this article, I would like to clarify the presence of Nazis in Ukraine and show how accepting Putin has been to his fascist allies in the rest of Europe.
Nazis in Ukraine
Are there Nazis and neo-Nazis in Ukraine? Yes, as there are in Hungary, Austria, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere. Are they a real threat to Ukrainian stability? No. Paradoxically, neo-Nazis should be more of a concern in the rest of Europe. Let’s have a brief look at the most potent neo-Nazi groups in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s largest right-wing group, Azov, was founded, like other far-right militia groups in Ukraine, during the 2014 Maidan revolution. Azov was founded by former members of the neo-Nazi paramilitary group, Patriot of Ukraine. This militia has been fighting against Russian troops in Ukraine from 2014 onward, which is one of the reasons Ukraine officials have not shown any significant protest against its establishment. By November 2014, Azov was fully…
