Yes, the Azov Battalion is by far the most effective and motivated unit the Ukraine government had in the first assault against the rebels. However, with a bankrupt treasury and a desperate need for international aid and military support, neo-Nazis are not exactly something you’d want to showcase. To downplay the reports, the allegations were dismissed as “Russian propaganda.”
However, the Azov Battalion’s commander himself confirmed that as many as 20 per cent of his soldiers are, in fact, dedicated Nazis. For the record, at the height of Adolf Hitler’s power, fewer than 10 per cent of the population were actual members of the National Socialist Party.
The case against the Azov Battalion was compelling enough for the U.S. Congress to exclude them from military aid. Canada, of course, has also sent military trainers to western Ukraine. But, as of yet, the Harper government has not taken any measures to prevent our soldiers from training either Azov or other neo-Nazi militiamen.
When asked for a clarification vis-à-vis the possibility of our troops assisting right-wing extremists, the defence minister’s office stated that the Canadians would only be training the Ukrainian National Guard. Unfortunately for all involved, as of September 2014, the Azov Battalion officially became a member of that National Guard.
As loathe as the Canadian government is to admit that Ukraine’s security forces contain such unsavoury elements, it is imperative that we follow the U.S. lead on this and ban any and all support to neo-Nazi fascists, even if they are anti-Russian.
more
ON TARGET: Unsavoury elements taint Ukrainian regime | The Chronicle Herald
However, the Azov Battalion’s commander himself confirmed that as many as 20 per cent of his soldiers are, in fact, dedicated Nazis. For the record, at the height of Adolf Hitler’s power, fewer than 10 per cent of the population were actual members of the National Socialist Party.
The case against the Azov Battalion was compelling enough for the U.S. Congress to exclude them from military aid. Canada, of course, has also sent military trainers to western Ukraine. But, as of yet, the Harper government has not taken any measures to prevent our soldiers from training either Azov or other neo-Nazi militiamen.
When asked for a clarification vis-à-vis the possibility of our troops assisting right-wing extremists, the defence minister’s office stated that the Canadians would only be training the Ukrainian National Guard. Unfortunately for all involved, as of September 2014, the Azov Battalion officially became a member of that National Guard.
As loathe as the Canadian government is to admit that Ukraine’s security forces contain such unsavoury elements, it is imperative that we follow the U.S. lead on this and ban any and all support to neo-Nazi fascists, even if they are anti-Russian.
more
ON TARGET: Unsavoury elements taint Ukrainian regime | The Chronicle Herald