NO NAZIS IN UKRAINE?

The historical Nazis were of course solely adherents of Adolf Hitler's murderous creed of hate and ultra-violent atrocities who assisted him in the slaughter of millions.

The mindset of the Nazis however, is still with us and still as focused on hatred and ultra-violence, still capable of the most inhuman atrocities.

Western political and media elites like to play down this reality as it tends to contradict their all sweetness and light portrayal of the present leadership in Ukraine and their military forces.

They say, scoffing as they mouth the words, "There are no Nazis in Ukraine!" The very idea appears to strike them as ludicrous. A preposterous concept and allegation then? Not quite.

The prevalent mythology among a sizeable minority in western Ukraine is that Hitler and his Nazis were a welcome boon to Ukrainian nationalism during world war two. So much so that thousands of Ukrainians from the western regions joined the Nazis and were instrumental in the killing of thousands of Ukrainian and Polish Jews at that time.

The main object of their hatred however was reserved for Russians. To this day 'Operation Barbarossa', Hitler's campaign to subjugate Russia is regarded with pride by the minority we are talking of here.

You might say these beliefs are relatively harmless and that might be true if its modern day adherents weren't intent on killing for them. Indeed, an estimated 14,000 have died at their hands and those of regular Ukrainian troops from 2014 to the present day. Those the modern day Nazis consider to be Russians though their only crime is to live in eastern Ukraine and have good relations, inter-marriage with Russians, speak Russian and celebrate the defeat of the Nazis at the hands of the Red Army.

This minority, with a distinctly Nazi-mentality who hold Ukraine's Nazi legacy permanently close to their hearts favour symbols that mimic the swastika and 'wolfsangel' insignia used by the original Nazis. And too they favour the salute that has become infamously associated with the Nazis. But no western elites tell us, there are no Nazis in Ukraine. It's all "Russian propaganda". They wouldn't lie to us... now would they?