DISINFO: The West rewards the Ukrainian apologia for fascism with weapons and money
DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS
  • Outlet: pl.sputniknews.com (archived)*
  • Date of publication: January 30, 2022
  • Article language(s): Polish
  • Reported in: Issue 271
  • Countries / regions discussed: Russia, Ukraine, EU
Tags:
Nazi/Fascist Coup Ukrainian statehood Military West Western values

DISINFO: The West rewards the Ukrainian apologia for fascism with weapons and money

SUMMARY

A clinical example of pathology in the European politics is the case of Ukraine. After the political coup, which was very much liked by world democracies, we are dealing with a unique festival of political degeneration, where the apologia for fascism is a constitutionally unwritten ideology of the state. This process takes place under the slogans of European values and democracy.

Every Ukrainian government since 2014 glorifies the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, erects monuments to fascist activists and organises state funerals for Nazi collaborators. The former President Kuchma states that he possesses a rifle of Hermann Göring and the so-called voluntary units identify themselves with fascist symbols and emblems. This vindication of fascism is rewarded by [Western] supplies of weapons and money.

RESPONSE

A recurring narrative about Nazi Ukraine.

The myth of Nazi-ruled Ukraine has become a cornerstone in the pro-Kremlin disinformation and appeared during the Euromaidan protests in late 2013 - early 2014, when the then-president Viktor Yanukovych was toppled and later fled to Russia. The Kremlin has been using this myth actively since then to discredit Kyiv’s shift towards Euro-Atlantic policy.

A law passed in Ukraine in 2015 bans Nazi and Communist ideologies. The law prohibits the public use and propaganda of Nazi and Communist symbols. Far-right groups do exist in Ukraine, like in any other country, but they have a minor influence on politics and social life.

Far-right groups enjoyed a very limited presence during the Euromaidan protests and got abysmal results in the 2014 presidential and parliamentary elections. During the 2019 election cycle, the far right managed to sustain an even more tremendous failure; the highest-rated nationalist candidate, Ruslan Koshulynskyy, won 1.62% of the vote whereas Svoboda, one of the Kremlin's favourite bogeymen, won 2.16% of the national vote, falling far short of the 5% minimum guaranteeing entry into parliament.

Read also similar articles: The far-right coup government in Kyiv emerged from the 2014 Maidan uprisingZelenskyy's regime is based on Nazism and hatred towards RussiansUkrainians imbued with destructive Nazi ideologyBandera's sympathisers have a large influence on UkraineCrimean Platform: the West nurtures neo-Nazi mood in Ukraine.

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Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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