When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, as a Jew, I had mixed reactions knowing her anti-Semitic past. As I studied modern Ukrainian politics one thing became obvious. No matter the past, Ukraine could no longer be accused of systemic anti- Semitism. Zelenskyy’s election as president is proof of two things: Ukrainians wanted a democratic government and didn’t care he was a Jew. Russia has always needed a scapegoat to punish for inept or corrupt governance. Putin the “strongman” is the nazi now.
Thank you for addressing this head-on. This Russian influence campaign has not only sought to justify Putin’s imperialist war of aggression, but also create a miasma of anti-Ukrainian sentiment among MAGA republicans that they use (along with the claims of rampant corruption -- we need a good, hard look in the mirror on that one...) to justify their servile abandonment of a principled US foreign policy to Trump’s grievances. Enough already! The “nazi” charge doesn’t withstand scrutiny as you amply document. I look forward to your takedown of the corruption slander. Ukraine has work to do for sure, but reforms are underway (on the way to meeting demands of EU accession) and oligarchs are being brought to heel. Keep up the great Substack!
Putin is a pig. There are nazis in the United States. Is he going to invade us? The antisemitic forces around the world are a cancer to be dealt with. He uses any excuse he can to yield more and more power and wealth. This world will be better off when he is dead.
It feels strange to experience these modern ideas, values, and ethos under such threat and attack. Ukraine is an example and inspiration in its defense of these ideas and values.
No question in my mind that this is a very important, timely, and relevant column.
Turning Ukraine into Nazi Germany is standard practice for Putin. It appeals to his base -- a nation that has a long and ghastly history with facing the real Nazis, and to those who support his authoritarianism.
A very necessary piece of writing in the face of the attempt by Putin to demonize the democratic forces in Ukraine. Were there people who embraced an ugly vision? Yes. There are here as well, but they are the few and the despised. Thank you.
Thank you for the enlightening article. There are many ex pat Ukrainians and Russians in my area. I didn’t know the Ukrainian history regarding Nazi’s post WW2 but, with the Ukrainian President Zelensky being Jewish, they couldn’t still be the Nazi’s Putin was making the Ukraine out to be. In fact I found it to be ironic that the DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED, JEWISH President of Ukraine was holding off the Russian military, who were invading his country on the pretense of that country being overrun by Nazi’s. To damn bad our cowardly House Republicans are showing their allegiance to Putin and their anti-semitism by withholding funds for Ukraine to protect their democratic country and act as a shield for the NATO Alliance. But then reading Trump’s Agenda 47 - Trump wants to dump NATO because Trump says Putin isn’t our enemy - we are our own enemy.
No? I didn’t know there can be only one set of idiots, and that stupidity doesn’t exist on the ‘progressive’ left. Yes, Tucker Carlson is a vatnik, but so are morons on the left like Max Blumenthal, Bernie campaign press secretary Briahna Joy Gray, the leadership of the Green Party (both Jill Stein and Ajamu Baraka), and many fools on the academic left such as Cornel West.
I think we need to ask who Putin is addressing in his claims that Ukraine is a "Nazi" state. He's not addressing primarily a Western audience but a Russian one. He is justifying his invasion of Ukraine and the massive losses Russian forces have suffered as a continuation of "The Great Patriotic War" (World War II). In that war, there were Ukrainians, most notably Stepan Bandera, who did fight alongside the Nazis and there were Ukrainian SS battalions. This is all part of Putin's bigger argument that Ukraine has no legitimate identity and his openly expressed determination to destroy Ukrainian culture. It is Putin's war of genocide. I find myself asking what are Western propagandists-Voice of America,for example-doing to tell this truth to the Russian people so that they might know the truth about what their leader has led them into.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, as a Jew, I had mixed reactions knowing her anti-Semitic past. As I studied modern Ukrainian politics one thing became obvious. No matter the past, Ukraine could no longer be accused of systemic anti- Semitism. Zelenskyy’s election as president is proof of two things: Ukrainians wanted a democratic government and didn’t care he was a Jew. Russia has always needed a scapegoat to punish for inept or corrupt governance. Putin the “strongman” is the nazi now.
Thank you for addressing this head-on. This Russian influence campaign has not only sought to justify Putin’s imperialist war of aggression, but also create a miasma of anti-Ukrainian sentiment among MAGA republicans that they use (along with the claims of rampant corruption -- we need a good, hard look in the mirror on that one...) to justify their servile abandonment of a principled US foreign policy to Trump’s grievances. Enough already! The “nazi” charge doesn’t withstand scrutiny as you amply document. I look forward to your takedown of the corruption slander. Ukraine has work to do for sure, but reforms are underway (on the way to meeting demands of EU accession) and oligarchs are being brought to heel. Keep up the great Substack!
Thank you for writing this. I get so sick of hearing brainwashed Americans trot out this falsehood to justify their pro-Putin ideology.
Putin is a pig. There are nazis in the United States. Is he going to invade us? The antisemitic forces around the world are a cancer to be dealt with. He uses any excuse he can to yield more and more power and wealth. This world will be better off when he is dead.
He doesn't have to, he's letting Trump and his MAGA troopers do it for him.
No shortage of useful idiots here in the US.
If Putin could, I'm sure he would.
Enlightenment, Freedom, Democracy, Liberalism, Republicanism
It feels strange to experience these modern ideas, values, and ethos under such threat and attack. Ukraine is an example and inspiration in its defense of these ideas and values.
No question in my mind that this is a very important, timely, and relevant column.
Turning Ukraine into Nazi Germany is standard practice for Putin. It appeals to his base -- a nation that has a long and ghastly history with facing the real Nazis, and to those who support his authoritarianism.
A very necessary piece of writing in the face of the attempt by Putin to demonize the democratic forces in Ukraine. Were there people who embraced an ugly vision? Yes. There are here as well, but they are the few and the despised. Thank you.
The obvious next step is to deny Ukraine aid because it IS so friendly to Jews. Watch for it…
All Putin does is lie, murder, and imprison detractors. I feel sorry for decent Russians who are stuck with this monster representing them.
This is crap
Thank you for the enlightening article. There are many ex pat Ukrainians and Russians in my area. I didn’t know the Ukrainian history regarding Nazi’s post WW2 but, with the Ukrainian President Zelensky being Jewish, they couldn’t still be the Nazi’s Putin was making the Ukraine out to be. In fact I found it to be ironic that the DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED, JEWISH President of Ukraine was holding off the Russian military, who were invading his country on the pretense of that country being overrun by Nazi’s. To damn bad our cowardly House Republicans are showing their allegiance to Putin and their anti-semitism by withholding funds for Ukraine to protect their democratic country and act as a shield for the NATO Alliance. But then reading Trump’s Agenda 47 - Trump wants to dump NATO because Trump says Putin isn’t our enemy - we are our own enemy.
Most of the ‘Nazi’ accusations that I’ve seen have been leveled by far Left talking heads, academics and ‘progressives’, including here in Substack.
Those were leveled at the far right and Maga.
No? I didn’t know there can be only one set of idiots, and that stupidity doesn’t exist on the ‘progressive’ left. Yes, Tucker Carlson is a vatnik, but so are morons on the left like Max Blumenthal, Bernie campaign press secretary Briahna Joy Gray, the leadership of the Green Party (both Jill Stein and Ajamu Baraka), and many fools on the academic left such as Cornel West.
Here’s a useful resource https://vatniksoup.com/
Whenever I have publicly voiced support Ukraine, some MAGA idiot yells “nazi.”
Excellent article.
Thankyou for this
There’s that word again in the beginning of the post - “unprovoked”. If you want to cover from all sides, you should include the US involvement. https://www.newagebd.net/article/191344/unprovoked
I think we need to ask who Putin is addressing in his claims that Ukraine is a "Nazi" state. He's not addressing primarily a Western audience but a Russian one. He is justifying his invasion of Ukraine and the massive losses Russian forces have suffered as a continuation of "The Great Patriotic War" (World War II). In that war, there were Ukrainians, most notably Stepan Bandera, who did fight alongside the Nazis and there were Ukrainian SS battalions. This is all part of Putin's bigger argument that Ukraine has no legitimate identity and his openly expressed determination to destroy Ukrainian culture. It is Putin's war of genocide. I find myself asking what are Western propagandists-Voice of America,for example-doing to tell this truth to the Russian people so that they might know the truth about what their leader has led them into.