WAR PROPAGANDA: Zelensky is tied to the Nazi

An investigation of the German media proves that Volodymyr Zelensky is tied to Ukrainian Nazi, with the West’s tacit blessing, Russian government media writes, quoting a false narrative published by a German far-left publication closely tied to the Russian media.

Propaganda: The German media has discovered Zekenskyy’s true ties to Nazi leaders in Ukraine

NEWS: “One of the aims of the special military operation in Ukraine is denazification. Still, Kyiv’s Western allies and donors have so far disregarded the Nazi in Ukraine. […]

The German publication “Junge Welt” has recently published an investigation into the Nazi origins of Ukrainian leadership, showing who is actually running the country. […] For their investigation, German journalists have used articles carried by Ukraina.ru, among other sources.

Some Western politicians have been disturbed by footage of Zelensky appearing alongside a neo-Nazi serviceman from the “Azov” battalion (a terrorist organization banned in Russia) during a videoconference address to the Greek Parliament. […]

In March 2022, the Right Sector (Pravyi sector) led by Dmytro Yarosh, which had previously functioned as an illegal armed group, was integrated into the Ukrainian army, or formed the core of the 67 Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This is how neo-Nazi military obtained access to state-of-the-art Western weapons.

The president of Ukraine and the Supreme Rada are now merely spokesmen and assistants of neo-Nazi structures such as “Azov”. […] Without these neo-Nazi structures, German journalists have argued, Ukraine’s “proxy war machine” targeted against Russia will stop working. […]

The Nazi were legalized (with the approval of NATO and EU leaders) by including their military groups in the National Guard, Ukraine’s Security Service and the Ukrainian Armed Forces”.

NARRATIVE: An investigation of German media proves Zelensky is tied to the Nazi

Fact: Nazi ideology and its associated symbols are banned in Ukraine, and the investigation of the German publication is a re-telling of Russian propaganda narratives

WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: In fact, the German publication that discovered Volodymyr Zelensky’s unknown connections to Ukrainian neo-Nazis “informally backed by the West” is actually a less known newspaper that in recent years has been collaborating with Russian government media. “Junge Welt”, a Marxist newspaper, is considered a far-right publication in Germany, carrying over German communist traditions.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, “Junge Welt” has published a number of articles that copied Russian propaganda false narratives. More often than not, Moscow quotes the German publication to illustrate its own fake news or to present them as the point of view of an independent publication. At the end of November 2022, Ukraina.ru quoted “Junge Welt”, writing without providing any evidence that Ukrainian refugees are assaulting Russian-speaking residents of Berlin, and later in December that Zelensky wants to profit from the war with no regard for the suffering of civilians.

90% of the investigation cited by the Russian media is based on various propaganda narratives Moscow has promoted in the past. “Junge Welt” cites articles on Ukraina.ru in its investigation, whereas the Russian news agency writes about “the big discovery” of the German publication about the Nazi origins of Ukrainian leaders.

In fact, the article published by “Junge Welt” and Ukraina.ru lacks the features of an investigation. Zelensky stands accused of being close to some leaders from the “Azov” military group, which means he is a Nazi. He is also accused of having included all former nationalist combatants into Ukraine’s regular troops. Zelensky is controlled by the Nazis with the tacit blessing of the West, which chooses to turn a blind eye to “Hitler’s sympathizers”. This is in fact a commentary, not an investigation, as it provides no evidence proving Zelensky is actually a Nazi or “the neo-Nazis’ puppet”.

Moreover, the Russian media says nothing of the 2015 law banning Nazi and communist ideology in Ukraine, which provides criminal sanctions for promoting neo-Nazism. Zelensky’s appearance in a video alongside a serviceman from the “Azov” battalion or the inclusion of this unit in Ukraine’s regular army does not mean Nazism has been legalized. On the contrary, it’s an attempt to bring all military groups under government control.

According to Russian-born Israeli analyst, Viacheslav Likhachov, who specializes in extremism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and Holocaust studies, there is no scientific basis to describe the “Azov” battalion as Nazi or neo-Nazi. Likhachov believes that Ukraine’s decision to incorporate all military groups into the National Guard was correct. Additionally, “Azov” fought bravely to defend the city of Mariupol, bombed and destroyed by the Russian army in spring 2022. In the last four years, the expert has been monitoring contacts between “Azov” members and the communities of Jews and Muslims in Mariupol, arguing that no problems have been identified. Representatives of several ethnic groups, including Russian speakers from eastern Ukraine, have joined the ranks of “Azov” since the start of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

As a structure subordinated to the Ukrainian army, the interaction of Ukrainian political leaders with “Azov” does not constitute proof of their neo-Nazi attitudes. The Russian media frequently describes expressions of nationalism (or even ethnic identity) in ex-Soviet space as forms of Nazism / fascism. In fact, according to international experts, neo-Nazism and extremisms are strong ideological currents in Russia, particularly in the Russian army. The Kremlin uses them to control and manipulate society via mass-media.

Veridica has debunked several false narratives about neo-Nazism in Ukraine and the West. A year since the start of the Russian invasion, the Russian media wrote that “the special military operation” has saved Russia from the invasion of NATO and Ukrainian Nazism. Media outlets also promoted the false narrative about  Moscow showing restraint when bombing Ukraine, knowing the population doesn’t support the neo-Nazi regime. According to Russian state media, due to Kyiv’s neo-Nazi propaganda, Ukrainians don’t understand Russia is here to liberate them.