The United States has officially lifted a 10-year ban on Ukraine's Azov Brigade, now authorizing the use of American weapons by the controversial unit to combat Russian forces. The US State Department announced on Tuesday that the far-right ultra-nationalist unit, which has been integrated into Ukraine's National Guard as the 12th Special Forces Brigade, has passed a thorough review and is no longer restricted by US appropriations laws.
Previously, the US House of Representatives had barred the provision of arms and training to Azov members due to the group's neo-Nazi roots and alleged human rights violations. However, State Department officials now claim to have found "no evidence" of such abuses by the current Azov Brigade, differentiating it from the original 2014 Azov Battalion.
Following the lifting of the ban, the Azov Brigade celebrated on Instagram, stating, "This is a new page in our unit's history. Azov is becoming even more powerful, even more professional, and even more dangerous for occupiers."
The decision has been met with strong condemnation from Russia, which views the Azov Brigade as an "ultranationalist armed formation" and has designated it as a "terrorist group." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized the move, accusing US officials of "flirting with neo-Nazis" and using Ukraine to suppress Russia. Peskov emphasized that this change in Washington's stance demonstrates their willingness to utilize any means in their conflict with Russia.
The Azov Brigade is hailed by nationalist extremist groups in Ukraine and is praised by Kiev for its role in defending against Russia’s invasion. However, the group's founder, Andriy Biletsky, has been associated with extreme neo-Nazi ideology and has called for the ethnic cleansing of the Russian-speaking population in eastern Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that one of the objectives of Russia's 2022 military operation in the Donbas region was to stop the persecution of the Russian-speaking population by Kiev’s pro-Nazi extremist elements, including those linked to the Azov Brigade.
