Date of publication: April 13, 2022 • 20 hours ago • 3 minutes reading Canadian first aid methods are demonstrated to soldiers by the National Guard of Ukraine in November 2020 in Zolochiv, Ukraine. Photo by Avr Melissa Gloude / Canadian Armed Forces
Content of the article
A top Nazi hunter and Holocaust scholar says Canada failed to allow Ukrainian far-right military personnel to receive training just 17 months ago.
Advertising 2
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
But the Canadian Forces say they had no obligation to be absolutely certain of the background of these soldiers who trained in Ukraine. Radio Canada reported Monday that Canadian military personnel trained both members of the far-right Azov Regiment and at least one Ukrainian soldier wearing the emblem of a Nazi SS unit from World War II. The training took place in November 2020. Efraim Zuroff of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Israel said in an interview with the newspaper that Canada had failed to properly attend its own military training program. “The Canadian government has not done its due diligence,” he said. “It is the responsibility of the Canadian Ministry of Defense to know exactly who they are training.”
Advertising 3
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
“There is no doubt that there are neo-Nazis in different forms in Ukraine, whether it is in the Azov constitution or in other organizations,” he added. Defense sources have acknowledged that the emblem worn by the Ukrainian soldier in the Canadian military photos is the insignia of the Ukrainian SS unit that fought for the Nazis. The other photos show Ukrainian troops with insignia attached to Azov’s unit. Canadian Forces Commander Veronica Samburin said all Canadian military members training Ukrainian troops had received information to help them identify patches and insignia associated with right-wing extremism. Ukraine is responsible for controlling its staff, he added. If Canadian soldiers suspect that their Ukrainian counterparts or trainees have racist views or belong to right-wing organizations, then the trainees are moving away, Sabourin explained. But he added: “There is no burden of proof in the CAF to prove this beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Advertising 4
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
The Canadian military has refused to train members of Azov’s unit. The Azov unit, sometimes known as a battalion or regiment, had previously been integrated into the Ukrainian army. But its links to the far right have long been recognized. In 2017, the Ukraine-Canada Joint Action Group briefed the Azov Order, acknowledging its links to Nazi ideology. “Many Azov members have described themselves as Nazis,” Canadian officials warned in a statement. In 2018, the US Congress banned the use of US funds to provide weapons, training and other assistance to the Azov Battalion because of its ties to the far right and the neo-Nazis. The UN and Amnesty International have accused the unit of human rights abuses.
Advertising 5
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
Russian President Vladimir Putin has justified his invasion of Ukraine by falsely claiming that the country was led by Nazis. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish. But the Russian invasion and the sympathy it has created for Ukraine in the Western nations has served as a catalyst for Azov’s wider acceptance. Some Jewish groups watched with concern as journalists attacked the unit or justified its actions, noting that there were only a few neo-Nazis in the organization. Japan’s Public Security Intelligence Service has reportedly removed Azov from the international terrorist list. However, the far-right sympathies of some Ukrainian military units have proved to be a problem. NATO recently used Twitter to highlight women in the Ukrainian army, but was forced to retweet the tweet after social media users pointed out that the women wore Nazi-linked insignia.
Advertising 6
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
Others have argued that allegations against Azov’s constitution are part of a Russian disinformation campaign. Zuroff denies such allegations. “It’s not Russian propaganda, far from it,” he explained. “These people are neo-Nazis. “There is an element of the far right in Ukraine and it is absurd to ignore it.” In June 2018, Canadian officials, including military personnel, met with Azov’s unit leaders. But despite knowing about the neo-Nazi ties, officials did not denounce the unit. Instead, they were worried that the media would reveal details of the meeting, according to National Defense documents. The Canadians allowed themselves to be photographed with members of the unit, which Azov later used for propaganda purposes.
Share this article on your social network
Advertising 1
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Sign up to receive daily headlines from Ottawa Citizen, part of Postmedia Network Inc. By clicking the subscribe button, you agree to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300
Thank you for your registration!
A welcome email is on its way. If you do not see it, check the junk folder. The next issue of Ottawa Citizen Headline News will be in your inbox shortly. We encountered a problem with your registration. PLEASE try again
