How long can mainstream Western media defend Ukraine's Nazi problem?

By Shabbir Rizvi

Earlier this week, the New York Times published an article conceding that there is a serious problem within the ranks of the Ukrainian armed forces: they proudly brandish Nazi iconography and symbols. 

The article stated that throughout the course of Russia’s “special military operation,” numerous accounts associated with Ukrainian armed forces have published images and videos of their personnel brandishing Nazi symbols like the “Totenkopf:” a skull associated with the infamous Nazi SS unit.

The article further noted that the official NATO account posted an image of a Ukrainian soldier with Nazi imagery in March of 2022, and then quietly deleted it. 

It then attempted to obfuscate the usage of the Nazi symbolism: something the corporate mainstream Western media has done time and time again.

Attempting to distort the imagery to signs of “Ukrainian Mythology” or “Ultra Nationalism,” Western media has constantly performed Olympic-level mental gymnastics to defend their proxy war against Russia. Any sign of questioning the official narrative is met with smears of being a “Russian troll.”

However, facts are stubborn things, and even if we entertain the idea of “Ukrainian Ultra Nationalism” we would trace it back to its root. All someone needs to do is a simple search of “Stepan Bandera” in order to understand the “Ukrainian Ultra Nationalist” mindset.

Bandera was a Ukrainian nationalist who wanted to pursue independent statehood for Ukraine in the early 20th century. However, this pursuit led him to join hands with Nazi Germany.

Bandera and his supporters, now known as the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), would then be responsible for the systematic murders of thousands of Polish people at the behest of the Nazi regime.

Though the OUN would eventually be crushed and imprisoned by the Soviets, their cells remained strong in the western part of Ukraine for decades to come.

Strong enough for the American spy agency CIA to remain in constant contact with them in their anti-Soviet operations during the Cold War. In fact, the CIA would foster this relationship for years to come.

CIA Specialist Douglas Valentine makes it very clear: the CIA was directly involved in cultivating fascist forces in Ukraine for 70 years.

Today, the seeds planted by the Cold War-era CIA agents have become troublesome but effective assets for Washington.

Effective because those battalions like the infamous Azov battalion are considered national heroes not only in Ukraine but the Western media spectacle has made them “defenders of democracy” in the US.

Troublesome because throughout the course of the war, and even before that, they do not hold back their Nazi insignias, beliefs, and salutes.

When the Western media concedes that there is a Nazi problem in Ukraine (even prior to the war), when the goal of Russia’s military operation is “De-Nazification,” and even the fighters on the side of Ukraine are willing to brandish Nazi imagery and slogans, one has to wonder - what will it take for Americans to realize their hard-earned money is being poured into the hands of Neo-Nazis?

The amount of $23.5 billion in taxpayer money alone has been spent on weaponry in Ukraine. Then, $18.3 billion in taxpayer money in security assistance - training and logistics. The numbers here do not include other forms of aid - financial aid and loans (for more weapons, of course). 

The Joe Biden administration is effectively letting schools in the country suffer, infrastructure erode, and health plummet while pouring billions of dollars into the hands of Neo-Nazi soldiers - soldiers that will more than likely apply for refugee status and be auto-approved for living in the US.

If Americans want a small taste of what Neo-Nazis in their neighborhoods are capable of, they can reference the racist Buffalo shooter - who shot up a grocery store in a black neighborhood while bearing the Sonnenrad, a popular Neo-Nazi logo seen on many Ukrainian soldiers. 

Many netizens and prolific media figures who beat the drums of war on the side of Ukraine attempt to paint the Nazi alignment as “Russian Propaganda.” But one has to ask, if reality is staring you in the face, when does one fact stop being “Russian propaganda” and become a hard-to-swallow reality?

The media spectacle of the war has manufactured public support for Ukraine while attempting to block out inconvenient truths. But, with Nazi imagery seemingly unrepentant, Americans who dare question the mainstream media war drive will have to ask - did the White House know about this? And if they did (and they definitely did) just what really is the United States government willing to do to maintain its slipping grip on geopolitics?

Western media outlets and Ukrainian military accounts have alike published multiple photos of Ukrainian soldiers brandishing the sonnerad, the totenkopf, and the swastika. Sometimes these pictures are deleted. Sometimes, they are left for the world to see, including on President Zelensky’s own Instagram.

Although outlets like the New York Times may be offering apologies on behalf of Ukrainian soldiers and “ultra-nationalist” elements, members of the Washington war machine have made little to no comments, as the war has enjoyed much bipartisan support, even granting Ukraine hundreds of millions of dollars easily in the middle of a budget default threat.

So the pertinent question that needs to be asked is: Are Americans willing to open their eyes and see, or would they rather keep their eyes closed and their wallets open? 

Shabbir Rizvi is a Chicago-based political analyst with a focus on US internal security and foreign policy.

(The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Press TV)

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