How Ukraine’s Jewish president Zelensky made peace with neo-Nazi paramilitaries on front lines of war with Russia

The Gray Zone ^ | March 4 2022 | ALEXANDER RUBINSTEIN AND MAX BLUMENTHAL

[caww]

Forbes had an article about him i read where Zelensky was involved with some off shore buisness group investors.....with potential charges forthcoming awhile back.

[little jeremiah]

Here it is, fantastic article on who Zelensky is. Who owns him.

The Rise of Zelensky from Comedian to President of Ukraine – Buckle Up
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4043716/posts

[Reily]

They are a force to be reckoned with.
Putin must pay attention to them.
If he doesn’t, he loses some Russian nationalism credo.

[roving]

Putin is just as bad

[JadeEmperor]

I'll wade in.

As an ethnic Jew, not religious, who was born and grew up in Ukraine before my family emigrated to the USA in the early 90's, there are many nuances to this story, that are not quite obvious to the casual American reader.

The thing is, the Ukrainian Nationalists tend to celebrate the heritage of their WWII predecessors, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army who early in the war were co-belligerents with the Nazis in hope to liberate Ukraine from the Communists and Stalin. Early in the war they participated in the Holocaust, hoping to win favor from the Germans. However, Hitler did not intend to give them Ukraine even as a 3rd Reich aligned puppet state, so eventually they fought against the Nazis as well, and also against the Soviets and both Soviet-aligned and Nationalist-aligned Poles. They conducted ethnic cleansing against the Polish civilians in Volynia in 1943. They continued an insurgency against the Soviets well after the end of WWII.

Because of my own heritage I could never embrace these historical figures as "heroes" in a sense that many ethnic Ukrainians do, but yet I understand that there isn't much choice for the Ukrainians - the choice is either the Nationalists (as controversial as their legacy may be), or the Soviets, whom the post-Soviet Ukraine repudiated. Its Red vs. Red-Black. I understand that in many cases the brutality of these militias was them trying to match the brutality of Stalin.

If you look at Central and Eastern European history, you will find that many anti-Communits of that era were ideologically Fascist or closer to National Socialism. The Euro-Right was an is unlike the American Right.

Again, modern Ukrainian Nationalists lionize these WWII insurgent figures (hence, the imagery) but there aren't any other historical role models for Independent Ukraine, unfortunately.

Zelenskiy was forced to make (an uneasy?) peace with the Nationalists (probably a lot of internal cringe fest going on) because of pragmatism, besides, these guys will fanatically fight the Russians.

Having said all of the above, Putin's claim to "denazify Ukraine" is simply an excuse. If not for the Nationalists, he would find something else. Right now Russia is desperately trying to spin a story that Ukraine was trying to make nuclear weapons and the invasion pre-empted the attack by Ukraine on Russia, because an earlier narrative that Ukraine was waiting to welcome the Russian with flowers, fell apart.

Putin is extremely cynical and wants to rebuild the USSR / Russian Empire.

Whether he wins or loses in Ukraine, Putin is going to get exactly the opposite of what he intended - more NATO on his doorstep.

[wardaddy]

He sucks basically as does his cabal

Not worth our blood

[wardaddy]

Well for righties now quoting msnbc who knows maybe they will wake up...I notice Fox is churning a bit and admitted they were hoaxed

The left....well....Putin is the antichrist of culture war along with Trump so I doubt it

It’s the craziest sit rep I’ve seen in my life alignments wise

And the most collusive and most propagandizing I’ve ever seen such a broad swath of media

[wardaddy]

Nearly all his oligarchs are Jewish

Yeltsin had his fair share and Pootie purged all but Abramovich and anointed homeboy gangsters

It’s weird over there

Oh there are tartar muslim oligarchs in Ukraine too so nobody feels left out

*did Zelensky really play piano with his penis on stage with his comedy routine once....that has to be Russian propaganda

https://thebrag.com/ukrainian-president-piano-routine/

[alexander_busek]

This is a very localized problem

Yeah, yeah - We've heard that all before!

"My last territorial claim in Central Europe..."

Regards,

[alexander_busek]

A couple of years ago, the EU pronounced the Svoboda party to be a neo-Nazi organization, incompatible with European values.

Well, that settles it for me! No need for me to form my own opinion! The EU hath spoken!

Regards,

[Gene Eric]

A validation of the surprising results from the first go-round.

Who knew the masses would descend into some bizarre combination of masochistic Stockholm syndrome.

[deks]

“Why is FR becoming Russian propaganda machine?”

BobL says: 'Feel free to use CNN as your source.'

<<>>

Max Blumenthal, author of The Grey Zone blog article above, is a regular contributor to Sputnik and RT Russia Today...Russian state controlled propaganda "news".

He also writes for progressive media such as Huffington Post, Salon, Media Matters for America, The Nation, Daily Beast, New York Times, and AlterNet.

[tlozo]

Having said all of the above, Putin's claim to "denazify Ukraine" is simply an excuse. If not for the Nationalists, he would find something else. Right now Russia is desperately trying to spin a story that Ukraine was trying to make nuclear weapons and the invasion pre-empted the attack by Ukraine on Russia, because an earlier narrative that Ukraine was waiting to welcome the Russian with flowers, fell apart.

Russian propaganda uses “the firehose of falsehood” approach intended to confuse and overwhelm. High numbers of channels and messages and a shameless willingness to disseminate partial truths or outright fictions. De-nazification, Globalism, Bio-labs, Nuclear, etc.

Just in time:Russia, without evidence, says Ukraine making nuclear "dirty bomb"

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-without-evidence-says-ukraine-making-nuclear-dirty-bomb-2022-03-06/

[MD Expat in PA]

Why is FR becoming Russian propaganda machine?

Q

[MD Expat in PA]

Thank you for that insight.

[BobL]

Is that supposed to mean anything?

[BobL]

“Well, that settles it for me! No need for me to form my own opinion! The EU hath spoken!”

And your point is?

[Dartoid]

It is always informative to understand who the source of an article is. The Grayzone is a far far far left fringe group. They have also brought you “very informative” articles downplaying China’s oppression of the Uyghurs.

It’s one thing to be informed in how the other side is thinking. This is not being presented that way.

[alexander_busek]

alex_busek: Well, that settles it for me! No need for me to form my own opinion! The EU hath spoken!

BobL: And your point is?

The point of my sarcasm is that - like the Biden Administration - the EU has made a lot of pronouncements that verge on the insane or are at least highly politicized, and thus have no validity for me.

Are you perhaps saying that the mere fact that the EU makes such a claim is good enough for you?

Regards,

[Does so]

Great analysis!

Worthy of member nathan_bedford_forrest, who seems to be on vacation.