Biden hits 'new low' in arming 'pro-Nazi' Azov: US Congressman
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Paul Gosar says the Biden administration's decision to lift a ban on arms supplies to Ukraine’s Azov battalion prolongs the war.
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Volunteers take an oath of allegiance to Ukraine, before being sent to the eastern part of Ukraine to join the ranks of the Azov battalion in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, June 23, 2014. (AP)
US President Joe Biden has reached a new low after his administration decided to remove restrictions on arms supplies to Ukraine’s Azov battalion, US Congressman Paul Gosar pointed out on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, The Washington Post, citing the US State Department, reported that the Biden administration has lifted the ban on arms supplies to and training of the Azov battalion.
"A new low, even for Joe Biden, his administration is not even hiding the fact that America is now arming Ukraine’s evil pro-Nazi brigade, thus prolonging a bloody and deadly proxy war," Gosar told Sputnik.
The US State Department confirmed that "after a thorough review, Ukraine’s 12th Special Forces Azov Brigade passed Leahy vetting as carried out by the US Department of State," referring to the legislation that prevents military aid from reaching units involved in human rights violations.
The State Department claimed that it found "no evidence" of human rights violations committed by Azov, and The Washington Post mentioned that Ukrainian officials saw the ban lift as “a top priority” during their lobbying attempts.
Established in 2014 by Ukrainian ultra-nationalists in the wake of the Western-backed Maidan riots, the Azov Battalion was included in the National Guard of Ukraine in November of that year.
The battalion has come under severe criticism for its support of Nazi ideology and symbols, as well as its human rights violations against the Russian-speaking population of Eastern Ukraine.
Russia's Supreme Court designated Ukraine's Azov Battalion as a terrorist organization in August 2022.
Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov called the reported decision by the United States outrageous, adding that it raises serious concerns about US readiness to fight terrorism.
The Russian Prosecutor General's Office last year accused Azov militants of employing prohibited means and methods of warfare, including the torture of civilians and the killing of children.
The battalion's symbol is the neo-Nazi Wolfsangel, a black swastika against a yellow background. Founded by Andriy Biletsky, who vowed to "lead the white races of the world in a final crusade…against Semite-led Untermenschen," the group is a pack of neo-Nazis working with the US-backed Ukrainian military.
