Ukraine's Top Reconstruction Official Quits
TimeJun 20
US Lifts Weapons Ban on Ukraine's Azov Brigade
Above: The symbol of the Azov brigade on the uniform of a serviceman who came to the funeral of fallen soldier Oleh Sadyk on June 18, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Image copyright: Valentyna Polishchuk/Contributor/Global Images Ukraine/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
The US State Department has lifted a ban on American weapons being sent to Ukraine's Azov Brigade, according to a statement first obtained by the Washington Post on Monday.
The unit, founded in 2014 by ultranationalist soccer hooligans in concert with other far-right groups, has worked to shake off its neo-Nazi past, according to some reports. However, others suggest those roots are still very much present.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
While the Azov Brigade has a checkered past, much of that has changed since it became absorbed into Ukraine's National Guard and recruited 5K new soldiers since Russia's invasion. This lifting of the ban will mean that some of Ukraine's best defenders have the weapons they need and should turn into tangible results on the battlefield.
Establishment-critical narrative
Though Western media openly reported about Azov's far-right ideology prior to the Russian invasion, much of that has since been whitewashed — although these neo-Nazi elements remain. This is because mainstream media is now more concerned with justifying the West's proxy war with Russia than doing honest journalism.