US media: Subtle, these photos of the Ukrainian army have been quietly deleted. Soldiers | Movement | Ukrainian Army
According to a report on the New York Times website on June 5th, since Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine last year, the Ukrainian government and NATO allies have posted three seemingly harmless photos on their social media accounts, which were then quietly deleted: a soldier standing in the middle of a group of people, another soldier resting in a trench, and an emergency worker posing in front of a truck.
According to reports, in each photo, these Ukrainian soldiers wearing military uniforms wore badges bearing the infamous symbols of Nazi Germany, which later became part of the symbols of far right hate organizations. After publishing these photos, they were deleted, highlighting the intricate relationship between the Ukrainian military and the image of the Nazis.
The report points out that this relationship has become particularly delicate now, as Russian President Putin declared Ukraine a Nazi country and used it as a reason for the Russian military to launch special military operations.
The report states that for many years, Ukraine has been making efforts to restrict extreme right-wing movements on the periphery through legislation and military reforms. These members of the far right movement proudly wear symbols from the Nazi era and support views hostile to the left, LGBTQ movement, and ethnic minorities. But some members of extreme right-wing organizations have been fighting against Russia, and some are still seen as national heroes.
The symbols used by these groups include skull and cross symbols worn by Nazi concentration camp guards, as well as symbols known as the "Black Sun". Nowadays, these symbols often appear on the uniforms of Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the front lines, some of whom express that they symbolize Ukraine's sovereignty and pride, rather than Nazism.
The report suggests that in the short term, these symbols may have strengthened Putin's propaganda, providing evidence for his claim that Ukraine must be "de Nazized.". From a broader perspective, Ukraine's contradictory attitude towards these symbols, and even its acceptance of them, will give new life to these symbols that the West has been trying to eradicate for over half a century.
"What worries me is that Ukrainian leaders either do not recognize and understand, or are unwilling to recognize and understand how people outside of Ukraine perceive these symbols," said Michael Colburn, a researcher at the British Ringtall Cat website, which investigates international extreme right-wing movements
"I think Ukrainians need to be aware that these symbols will weaken support for Ukraine," said Colburn
The report states that so far, these symbols have not weakened the support of the international community. However, this puts diplomats, Western journalists, and rights groups in a dilemma: drawing attention to these symbols may be in line with Russia's propaganda intentions, and not saying anything could lead to their spread.
