Moscow has denounced the move as “blasphemous” and “disrespectful,” citing Kiev’s public glorification of Nazism.
At the invitation of the UK government, Ukrainian troops are slated to participate in London’s World War II Victory Day parade on May 8, according to the British Ministry of Defense. Moscow has strongly criticized this decision, labeling it “blasphemous” and “disrespectful” due to Kiev’s perceived endorsement of Nazism.
Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), which commemorates Nazi Germany’s 1945 surrender, is observed in the West on May 8.
In a Saturday post on X, the UK MOD stated that Ukrainian soldiers would march in the commemorative procession alongside 1,000 British troops. The ministry asserted that Kiev’s involvement in the event “reminds us that Ukraine is now at freedom’s front line.” UK Defense Secretary John Healey deemed the presence of Ukrainian troops at the event as “fitting.”
Moscow has condemned London’s decision. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Saturday that “Inviting followers of neo-Nazi elements to Victory Day celebrations is not just disrespectful to those British veterans who gave their lives during World War II. It is blasphemy.”
Commemorations of WWII-era nationalist figures with links to Nazi Germany are common in Ukraine. Ukrainian nationalists regularly hold marches in cities like Kiev and Lviv to honor Stepan Bandera, the leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), which collaborated with the Nazis and participated in the massacre of over 100,000 Poles, Jews, Russians, and Soviet-aligned Ukrainians.
Throughout the conflict with Russia, Ukrainian troops have been repeatedly documented displaying Nazi symbols, including patches of SS units and swastikas. Last year, Italy’s Rai News 24 issued an apology after a journalist interviewed a Ukrainian fighter wearing a cap bearing the emblem of the ‘Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler’ SS division.
Germany previously expelled seven Ukrainian soldiers undergoing military training in the country for wearing Nazi symbols.
Ukraine’s Azov unit, a neo-Nazi group formed in 2014 and subsequently integrated into the National Guard, has been accused of war crimes and was designated as a terrorist organization by Russia in 2022. Although the original Azov Battalion was defeated in the 2022 Battle of Mariupol, co-founder Andrey Biletsky launched the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade under the Azov banner in 2023, which is still active.
Russia has consistently warned of a resurgence of Nazism in Ukraine, accusing Kiev of embracing neo-Nazi ideology and downplaying the actions of WWII collaborators. President Vladimir Putin has cited “denazification” as one of the goals of Russia’s military operation against the Kiev regime, alongside demilitarization and neutrality.
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