The Kremlin's Projection: Propagandizing Ukraine's Nazism

Photo by Pavel Neznanov on Unsplash

As explored in an earlier piece I wrote here, Russia routinely uses false accusations of “Ukrainian Nazis” and “Nazism in Ukraine” as a means of undermining Zelenskyy’s government and legitimizing the invasion of Ukraine. The phrase “denazification”, used heavily by the Kremlin’s spokespeople and stooges abroad, is used to whitewash the indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas by drawing attention to a non-existent threat. Beyond the absurdity seen in Putin’s rhetoric, its crucial that we examine how Moscow’s claims of “neo-nazism” in Ukraine are in-fact a projection of a deeper antisemitism seen in modern Russia. A recent report from the State Department’s Global Engagement Center examines frequent instances of antisemitism from members of the Russian government and how Moscow utilizes antisemitism in its information operations in Eastern Europe and abroad.