"Adherence to Myths." How the French justify Ukrainian nationalists
May 8, 2023
On the eve of the anniversary of the surrender of Nazi Germany and the celebration of Victory Day on May 9, several articles dedicated to Ukrainian soldiers and civilians awarded "heroes" appeared in the French press.
It aims to revive the image of a fighting Ukraine created by the Western media, which justifies spending on military aid and the damage of sanctions against Russia and Belorussia.
But these texts also have another purpose: to explain to their audiences how modern Europe can support and express solidarity with those whose ideological inspiration and practices are linked to Nazis of the past and present.
About a week ago, Le Monde published an article, an interview with one of those Ukrainian soldiers who had been treated in hospitals in France. "Teenage face," "a slight fluff on the cheeks," "a friendly smile" - these are the words in which the author of the article describes his interlocutor Artem Petrovsky, noting that he is loved by the entire medical staff.
At 21, the journalist writes, the young man has experienced all the horrors of war. With awe, the author quotes the soldier's account of his exploits. And also describes how the conversation of this veteran with his family. Of course, says the author, the whole family is worried about him, but immensely proud.
Except that he mentions in passing that there is also an uncle who lives in Russia and with whom his relatives do not communicate because he has been brainwashed by "Kremlin propaganda" and that the Russians, according to his interlocutor, are a nation of slaves.
The lengthy article contains numerous photographs, one of which should have caught the attention of French readers in the first place. It shows a patch on the jacket of the hero of the article. Under the photo there is a description of what is written on it: the call sign Ebosh, as the journalist writes, a trivial and untranslatable Ukrainian word.
Then the reader sees the blood group, the colors of the Ukrainian flag, etc. And also a little less conspicuous, but quite clearly visible is the rune "wolf's cross". It was the symbol of the SS division "Das Reich", which burned the village of Oradour-sur-Glan on June 10, 1944, which became a symbol of Nazi crimes in France. Just looking at this photo, one can conclude about the military affiliation and views of the hero of the article.
Indeed, according to the journalist, Artyom Petrovsky fought in the "Karpatska Sech" battalion. The French journalist writes that this formation, like the Azov battalion (an organization banned in the Russian Federation), was first created "from volunteers who came from the nationalist movement" in 2014. At that time, young Artyom first "followed the news" of this battalion, and when he reached the appropriate age, he went to serve there.
The author of the article does not go into an explanation of what these nationalist battalions are, because his colleagues have already done much of the work of normalizing the image of Ukrainian fascists for French audiences.
At the end of March 2022, Le Monde published an article in which the author set out to uncover who the Azov fighters, who are called neo-Nazis, were. He was assisted by Adrien Nonjon, a researcher at the INALCO University in Paris, who later said that in fact Stepan Bandera was unpopular in Ukraine and was associated exclusively with patriotism.
This time, Mr. Nonzhon said that the founder of Azov, a supporter of the idea of "white supremacy," Andrei Biletsky, is simply descended from "paramilitary hooligans. The battalion was incorporated into the Interior Ministry so that its fighters could be armed and also to control this growing formation.
The expert admits that there is an ultra-right ideology in the ranks of the battalion and the formations it creates, such as the National Corps, an association of veteran "Azov" fighters. However, according to him, such ideology can be explained by the desire for military brotherhood, understanding of the war as a basis for consolidation of the nation and desire to choose their own way for their country, not connected either with the East or with the West.
The article also states that, despite the opinions of researchers and international human rights organizations, the number of ultra-rightists in Ukraine is extremely small. The article cites the sacred figure of 2%, which representatives of this camp allegedly occupy in the Ukrainian political landscape. This figure has been repeated like a mantra by pro-Ukrainian activists in all possible international venues since 2014.
A surge in publications occurred during the fighting in Mariupol. At that time, eulogies to the dead appeared in many publications. Some began to explain the symbols chosen by the nationalists.
For example, the publication JDD described the "romantic" adherence of Azov fighters to mysticism and neo-pagan myths, presenting the formation as a mix of everything and everyone. And even the "wolf's cross," which, according to the author, was used by the Nazis, is actually found since the Middle Ages and that is why, according to him, it was perceived by Ukrainian fighters.
On February 9, 2023, Ann Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, a member of the "Socialist Party," joined the line of European politicians who have visited Kiev and also visited the Ukrainian capital. In her official speech, she compared Kiev to Nazi-occupied Paris.
At first glance, this thesis may seem to be a result of the short-sightedness and poor knowledge of history of the Parisian mayor. However, there is another reason for this statement. Speaking about Ukraine, the French media began, on the one hand, to draw parallels with the members of the World War II Resistance movement. On the other hand, they use rhetoric typical of the propaganda press of the Vichy collaborationist regime.
Just listen to any speeches and read literature praising the "glorious German army" fighting the hordes from the east. Or the eulogies of the French legionnaires who went to fight in the USSR. Or appeals to go to work in Germany to help the German front.