Above is an image showing soldiers from the Soviet Union liberating Berlin from the Nazis in 1945.
Everyone should always oppose Nazis and Nazism 100% of the time, and be grateful to those who have fought against it.
The Soviet Union, including Russia of course, was absolutely instrumental in the defeat of the Nazi war machine in 1945. The Soviet Union lost approximately 27 million citizens during the war with Nazi Germany. For perspective, the United States of America lost just under a half million men and women during World War II.
The Nazis (and those who backed them) never forgave either Russia or the United States of America for their military defeat, and have been working towards the destruction of both nations ever since, primarily using methods other than military methods.
The Russians have not forgotten the clear intent of the Nazis to utterly destroy Russia, and they take such a threat very seriously, as they should.
When the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1990, there was an opportunity for a new and better relationship between the countries who collectively refer to themselves as "the West" and the nations of the former Soviet Union, including of course Russia.
Russia was very concerned about the reunification of Germany and its inclusion in NATO in 1990 -- but that nation was given assurances by then-Secretary-of-State James Baker (of the US) that if Germany joined NATO, then NATO would not expand "one inch" to the east after that. Since then, NATO has added 14 countries, moving steadily eastwards towards Russia.
These additions have included Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.
Below is a map showing the expansion eastwards of Germany and surrounding Russia, with dates:
In 2014, with the assistance of the United States and other entities in "the West," Ukraine underwent a coup d'etat which forced out the leader of Ukraine, who had decided to turn towards Russia for a loan rather than accepting the loan package offered by the financial powers of the West (so much for "free markets" and "rule of law").
A new puppet regime was installed, which was tolerant of openly pro-Nazi elements within Ukraine -- pro-Nazi elements which were also virulently anti-Russian.
Two regions of the Ukraine, which are situated close to Russia and which had always been more Russian in culture and sympathy than some of the other parts of the Ukraine, declared their independence from this new Ukrainian regime -- and experienced vicious coordinated attacks by militias and members of the armed forces of the new puppet government. These two regions pleaded with Russia to absorb them into Russia, but Russia refused, continuing to try to work diplomatically with the new government in Kiev and within the existing diplomatic structures and established bodies to resolve the situation.
That the current post-2014 government of Ukraine tolerates and arms openly pro-Nazi militias is undeniable.
Below are images showing Nazi emblems being openly displayed by members of the Ukrainian armed forces:
In this image, you can see two individuals giving Nazi salutes, in addition to the obvious fact that they are displaying a Nazi flag with swastika along with a NATO flag.
The United States and all the other nations of the self-styled "West" should not be giving any arms to the Ukraine so long as they tolerate and arm pro-Nazi militias such as these.
Below is an image showing a member of the same militia with a Nazi emblem on his helmet:
That image was posted in this article by Professor Michel Chossudovsky of Canada, noting the fact that Canadian elected officials openly hobnob with Ukrainian officials who openly endorse fascists from Ukraine's past, including Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera.
It looks as though someone might have drawn that emblem onto the helmet with a black permanent marker -- but the simple fact is that the leadership of the unit is obviously not requiring its removal.
Note also that the helmet pictured above is a US-style Kevlar helmet, probably supplied by the US or by other US allies in NATO. When this type of helmet was introduced in the US Army, replacing the Vietnam-era "steel pot," the new Kevlar helmet's similarity in shape to the helmets worn by the Nazis during World War II was a topic of much discussion. When I was a cadet at West Point, we wore the old-school "steel pot" helmets, but once we arrived at our active-duty units, we were issued the new Kevlar helmets, identical to the helmet shown above (minus the Nazi insignia, of course).
The United States and other western countries have over the past several years been giving weapons to the Ukraine -- which means that they are arming a country that has military units wearing Nazi insignia and leaders who openly praise fascists and Nazi leaders of the past (see the article by Professor Chossudovsky, above).
Recently, these weapons shipments have included Stinger missiles. Just pause to think about that -- giving Stinger missiles to neo-Nazis.
A Stinger missile can bring down a passenger airplane 100% of the time, if that plane is in range. And note that the United States and other western nations have been sending military trainers to instruct the Ukrainian armed forces in the use of the weapons that they are being given.
In December, Russia issued a list of demands, including the demand that Ukraine not be allowed to join NATO. This core demand was ignored, and in fact the United States Secretary of State declared: "I can't be more clear -- NATO's door is open, remains open, and that is our commitment."
Meanwhile, military shelling with indirect-fire weapons of the two pro-Russian regions in the eastern part of the Ukraine. Water and natural gas and other utilities have been cut off to many residents in those regions.
After almost eight years of negotiations, Russia finally decided to recognize those two regions, and to take military measures to stop the attacks by the military forces of the puppet Ukrainian regime. The Russians have declared their intention to de-militarize the Ukraine -- and that is what they are now doing.
This situation was entirely preventable.
The media here in the US have been putting out nonstop propaganda-level support for the arming of the Ukraine and the vilification of Russia in this situation (and in fact have been vilifying Russia quite aggressively for years).
Anyone who suggests that Russia may be in the right in this situation is being immediately labeled a Russian shill.
However, I am of the firm conviction that all people of conscience should oppose Nazis all the time, without qualification.
There is also a connection between the triumphalist, expansionist, imperialist history of Western Europe and the adoption of literalist Christianity at the end of the Roman Empire, the split of the empire between East and West, and the support by certain elements in the West of the original Nazis, as I outline in my 2020 book, Myth and Trauma.
The people of the West need to take a hard look at their own need to oppose Nazis, and those who support them.
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Postscript: For a bigger picture with historical perspective going back long before World War II, this recent video by Matthew Ehret from 28 January 2022 is instructive, as is all of Matthew Ehret's work (although of course I do not agree with his every position or statement, any more than any two people on earth agree on everything).
