DISINFO: Nazi ideology became the only one allowed in Ukraine after February 2014
SUMMARY
2014 was truly a turning point for Ukraine. The second-largest and most populous post-Soviet republic chose the “European path of development”, implicated in Nazi ideology. The neo-Nazis who brought their henchmen to power not only don’t want to negotiate peacefully with anyone, like Moscow or Budapest but also do not imagine such a possibility. The Nazi ideology of “Ukrainian integral nationalism”, after February 2014 became the only one allowed in Ukraine. It does not even assume the possibility of peaceful coexistence of “Ukrainian Nazis” with any “aliens”. Rather deportation, or forced assimilation, or the physical destruction of such.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative attempting to link Ukraine with Nazism. The accusation of Nazism is a popular propaganda technique used by pro-Kremlin outlets. Read more: Nazi east, Nazi west, Nazi over the cuckoo's nest.
The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has been the cornerstone of Russian disinformation about the country since the very beginning of the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, when it was used to discredit the pro-European popular uprising in Kyiv and, subsequently, the broader pro-Western shift in Ukraine's foreign policy.
In fact, far-right groups enjoyed a very limited presence during the Euromaidan itself and had poor results in the 2014 presidential and parliamentary elections. In the 2019 election, far-right candidates fell short of the 5% minimum guaranteeing entry into parliament.
Read similar cases alleging that Ukraine is a neo-Nazi state and Ukraine is an anti-Russian state under Western control, that pro-Western civil society in Ukraine and Belarus is a fascist fifth column, that Ukraine is run by pro-EU oligarchic Nazis supported by the US, that Europe supports the revival of fascism and that Ukrainian fascism is directed my US fascism in foreign policy.