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There Are More Nazis in Russia Than Ukraine —On The Real Threat of Nazism in the EU & Russia
Disinformation is not going away and lately, I have seen a resurgence of views on the threat of nazism in Ukraine which to some legitimizes Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
I could not disagree with something like that more fervently and I wanted to create a reference for some of you, as well as for myself, in a post to turn to on some of the facts.
There most certainly is a threat of neo-Nazism in Ukraine. However, it is not as pronounced as it is in the EU and Russia.
Let me explain.
Ukraine & The Former Azov
Prior to the full-scale invasion, few knew about Azov, formerly Ukraine’s paramilitary group with a previous reputation for being comprised of ultranationalists.
Azov was founded, like other far-right militia groups in Ukraine, during the 2014 Maidan revolution. Former members of the neo-Nazi paramilitary group, Patriot of Ukraine, are responsible for its founding. 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.
