Thread by @morphonios

1. The struggle between the fascists of the west & the communists of the east led to incredible atrocities against marginalized groups, such as Jews & Roma. Ukrainian nationalists led by Stepan Bandera collaborated with the Nazis. 34,000 Jews were massacred at Babyn Yar, #Kyiv.

2. On September 29–30 1941, in Babi Yar, a ravine in #Kyiv, the Nazis slaughtered more Jews in 2 days than in any other single German massacre, killing 33,771 Jews. In total, from September 29, 1941, until October 1943, the Nazis killed nearly 100,000 people in and near Babi Yar.

3. On September 29, 2016, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko initiated the creation of the first Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center. The Memorial Center is planned to be opened in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2025/26. It's website is: babynyar.org/en/

4. The website of the Babyn Yar Memorial Center in #Kyiv hosts an extensive history report of the massacre. The report explains that Stepan Bandera led a far right nationalist movement, the OUN. Bandera & OUN were Nazi collaborators who committed widespread violence against Jews.

5. By the time Nazis arrived, Ukrainian nationalists had already formed violent militias. These became "local auxiliary police" under the direction of the Nazis. These Banderite police participated in persecution & mass shootings of Jews & Soviet Ukrainians.

6. Bandera's Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) was antisemitic. OUN distributed literature calling for the destruction of the Jews. Bandera's deputy, Yaroslav Stetsko, told the Nazis the OUN wanted Germany to begin exterminating Ukrainian Jews quickly.

7. Bandera's nationalist Ukrainian OUN militias helped the Nazis capture & murder thousands of Ukrainian Jews.

8. Due to Bandera's push for national independence, he was arrested & deported to Auschwitz. Bandera was later released by Hitler to resume fighting for the Nazis against the Russians. He established an office in Berlin. Later, he changed his name to the German: Stefan Popel.

9. On 15 October 1959, he left his bodyguards for a moment to return to his upstairs apartment. Hearing a scream, neighbors discovered Bandera dead with a broken neck at the bottom of the stairs. An autopsy revealed that he was killed with cyanide.

10. Today, Bandera has a massive cult following in Ukraine. In 2007, the city of Lviv erected a statue dedicated to him. In 2009, Ukraine put him on a postage stamp. In 2010, the US-backed President Yushchenko posthumously awarded him "Hero of Ukraine", the nation's top honor.

11. Each year, thousands of Ukrainian citizens take to the streets to celebrate Nazi-collaborator Stepan Bandera.

12. More photos of Ukrainian nationalists parading in support of Nazi-collaborator Stepan Bandera.

13. In 2016, to the outrage of Israeli Jews, Ukrainian nationalists in the government of #Kyiv changed the name of a road leading toward the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial from Moscow Road to Stepan Bandera Avenue.

14. On March 1, Russian forces struck a television tower near Babyn Yar Memorial. Ukrainian President Zelensky claimed that Russia carried out a strike on the memorial itself. A Jewish Israeli journalist visited the site & confirmed that it was not hit & wasn't damaged at all.

15. On March 1, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko falsely claimed that Russia struck Babyn Yar Memorial, calling it a "Holocaust by Putin Rockets". In truth, it was Mayor Klitschko's own local government that changed Moscow Rd to Bandera Ave in honor of the notorious Nazi collaborator.

16. In addition to the modern Banderite movement, Ukraine is plagued with multiple ultranationalist, fascist and neo-Nazi factions. Their political parties include: Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists, Svoboda, Ukrainian National Union, Right Sector & National Corps.

17. The most violent of Ukraine's far right movements are the Azov neo-Nazis. They have been compared by numerous mainstream media outlets to ISIS terrorists due to their history of rape, sadistic torture of victims, terrorism and murder.

18. The neo-Nazi Azov Battalion has been an official part of the Ukrainian military since 2014. They are cheered and supported by Ukrainian citizens at military parades. Their symbol is the Nazi Wolfsangel.

19. While many countries, including the USA, have neo-Nazis, Ukraine has a significantly disproportionate number of fascist neo-Nazis and supporters - far more per capita than any other European country or the United States.

20. The Azov neo-Nazis are concentrated in the southeast coast of Ukraine and Donbass region. Their constant shelling of civilian homes and their torture, rape and murder have been called out by the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

21. The US government funds neo-Nazi and ultranationalist groups in Ukraine. In 2014, Senator John McCain met with far right leaders, including Svaboda's Oleh Tyahnybok, who helped to mobilize radical followers to overthrow the Russian-leaning government of President Yanukovich.

22. The extreme violence carried out in Maidan Square was the work of CIA-backed neo-Nazis. In Feb 2022, one of them explained that despite being the minority in Maidan, they were responsible for 90% of the chaos that collapsed the government.

23. At the Feb 2022 ultranationalist conference, it was explained that the reason the USA arms and uses the far right movement in Ukraine is because neo-Nazis enjoy killing for fun & accomplish the agenda of the power elites of the West - a partnership of mutual benefit.

24. It is well documented that western elites & politicians, including Senators John McCain & Lindsey Graham, have been pushing Ukraine for years to aggressively agitate Russia militarily and that the US government would help them do it.

25. For years, Putin has told the world that the ongoing efforts by the West to manipulate the far right elements in Ukraine into taking aggressive positions eventually would cause Russia to act in self-defense. The world largely turned a blind eye & rebuffed diplomatic efforts.

26. It is my position that Russia's full invasion is NOT justified. However, it cannot be denied that Russia has legitimate security concerns. These are based on historic animosities, present-day anti-Russian nationalist movements & western military aggression.

27. Russia's demands to Ukraine are:
1. Recognize Crimea as Russian territory
2. Recognize the independence of the Donbass
3. Eliminate the neo-Nazi/ultranationalist factions from the military & government
4. Reduce offensive military capabilities & agree to not join NATO

28. Given the history of Ukraine's Nazi-collaborations, Ukraine's ongoing cult worship of Stepan Bandera & thriving ultranationalist movements, & the West's aggressive militarism by proxy using Ukraine, it is unreasonable to dismiss Russia's claims as unsupportable lies.

29. The fastest way to end the #UkraineWar is for Zelensky to negotiate with Russia in good faith and agree to resolve Russia's security demands. Otherwise, the war will escalate - severely harming the people of Ukraine & possibly leading to global nuclear annihilation.

30. Most Ukrainians are good people who wish to live in peace. Putin's brutality is not justified, but it is present reality. At this point, the only way to end the war is to acknowledge & address Russia's stated concerns. To ignore them is to needlessly prolong war & bloodshed.

@threadreaderapp unroll

How about that? PBS News Hour just interviewed the Ukrainian mayor of Konotop 2 days ago. Notice anything in the background? PBS tried to blur it, but that's a big photo of Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera hanging behind the mayor's desk. Hmmm.