A White Supremacist Group Is Fighting For Ukraine, Can We Trust Them? | by Rebecca Stevens A. | ILLUMINATION-Curated | Medium
By: Rebecca Stevens A. (Medium)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Especially since their objective is to create a white ethnostate with no Black or brown people
Ronel Alvarez Unsplash
When they learned about the fate of Black African people stuck in Ukraine and at borders to neighboring countries, like Poland and Romania, two young Black Swiss boys decided to pack up…
When they learned about the fate of Black African people stuck in Ukraine and at borders to neighboring countries, like Poland and Romania, two young Black Swiss boys decided to pack up medicines and necessary supplies and drive to Ukraine to help.
The boys went because they were mortified by the injustice that they saw unfolding. They wanted to help others, so despite war and all the dangers that that entails, they fundraised, collected goods, and kept driving East until they hit Ukraine.
What happened next is a rather sad and shocking account of abhorrent racism that almost cost these boys their lives. It’s a story that needs to be told because mainstream media won’t tell it. The reality is that there is an increasing number of racist incidents in Ukraine that point to the fact that the country has a deep-seated racism problem. From my point of view, this is bound to get worse if it is not acknowledged and addressed.
When the Black Swiss boys got to Ukraine, they faced verbal and physical assault. They recount that they were attacked by over 20 skinheads, and called the n-word on several occasions. One of the boys shared that as a Black person, one cannot walk alone in some cities in Ukraine, for fear of being viciously attacked.
The reality is that these boys naively went to Ukraine thinking the color of their skin wouldn’t pose a problem because they were coming to do good. They realized that Black “Good Samaritans” are victims of vile racism too.
Like many of you, I’ve been appalled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I think that the majority of Ukrainians are victims, but in the country, there is a paramilitary group known as Azov that openly espouses troubling white supremacist actions and ideology. They are anti-semitic and engage in attacks against migrant communities and Roma in Ukraine. Like the Klan and other neo-nazis, they are a dangerous group.
For many years and still today, Azov militants are fighting alongside the Ukraine national forces. Indirectly, Ukraine’s allies including the US, the UK, Germany, and France to name a few, are providing weapons and significant funding to support the Ukrainian army and by association, these Azov militants as well.
This is extremely worrying to me given the interconnectedness of far-right groups globally. Who's to say that funding given to support this war effort doesn’t end up in the pockets of alt-rights groups in the US or the UK and be used to gun down Black people or defend white people that kill Black people?
History tends to repeat itself, especially if one doesn’t learn from it. Do you realize that at one point in time, the Taliban and the US government were actually allies? It is a known fact that numerous US administrations funded the Taliban in the early days when they were considered heroes fighting the Russians in Afghanistan.
When the Taliban turned on the west or depending on how you see this — vice versa, they still kept tonnes of US-funded weapons and artillery that they went along to use against America. Given their extremist views, I wouldn’t be surprised if Azov combatants turn on the west at one point.
As I hear more accounts about what it means to be Black or brown in that country, my heart sinks. I realize that if, as a Black woman, I was in Ukraine right now, my life would be in danger. That realization is a hard one to reconcile with my strong desire to help the Ukrainian people. I ask myself how much of the money I’m giving is ending up in Azov’s pockets. Am I inadvertently funding a white supremacist group? That question keeps haunting my mind. White supremacists anywhere, whether it be in Ukraine, England, Russia, the UK, or America, are a threat to Black and brown people everywhere.
This is why I think that despite our strong desire to help Ukraine, we need to make sure that we are not encouraging or funding any white supremacist group at any point in time. We need to make sure that we are not funding a group that seeks to build a white ethnostate where anyone that doesn't look white, doesn't have a place. We need to make sure we have those firm assurances in place before we throw billions of funding at Ukraine.
Thank you for reading my perspective.
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What is wrong with some of us the world over?! Racism is a sickness? Why be sick?!
Do people ask to be sick?
Do people ask to be born? Do people ask for their 'skin' to live out their days in? Do people choose to be born rich or poor? Did Elizabeth ask to be born a princess who turned into a queen?
The answer: No!
But with racism it is a mental illness one can rid oneself of. Again, I ask: Why be sick?
Racist, heal thyself.
I know that's meant to be silly and snarky, but instead its simply weak. Apparently, there is no hour of the day that "Drinker of the Wry" is not available for a 'sound-bite.' Team-name, maybe?
?
There has been racism and fear and hatred of the"others" since antiquity.
Deal with it in a rational and adult way..
Well Greg, I am wondering how you factor in as the "Other." Can you explain? If you are not the Other, what are you doing to help end this disease of racism and fear?
Some people are very late to the party.
Azov was integrated into the Ukrainian military several years ago. Some said it was to curb their Fascist nature- more like it was a reward for killing Russians.
I agree with the author whole heartedly on this. Our foreign policy has been "stuck on stupid" for a very, very, very long time. It doesn't matter who is in the White House.
But we are sticking it to those damn Russian again!
Politics makes for strange bedfellows is real!
White supremacists—everywhere? There is no rest for the wicked, I suppose.
No rest for the weary.
There are also black and brown extremists and supremacists all over the world. The extent of white supremacy is exaggerated for leftist political propaganda purposes
That's remarkably stupid, Greg. That said, can we simply get rid of all the diseased racism in our country/world? Instead of 'baking' them in deeper?
What's stupid about it? It's the truth
All racists are sick and diseased. I have new article here that might help explain in part: . You're welcome to go view the video there and determine how racism is used to divide people (all people) and then come back here with a potential understanding of why we waste time making allowances for diseased ignorance.
Note: The narrative on the video is told with 'rap.' Ideally, it is more targeted for the younger crowd, but the meaning is clear enough to the end of it.
Who is we?
That’s remarkably uncalled for, CB.
Come on CB, show us that you’re not stupid and tell us how we can simply rid ourselves of racism.
It's a problem that is TAUGHT. It's taught at a very young age. And not only being taught to whites. There are supremist groups in every demographic of the world. This has been happening for centuries. It's nothing new.
If it is taught. Can we not teach and un-teach it?
"IF" it's taught? That's a pretty stupid comment. Do you think a kid is born racist?
And to answer your question, yes, it can. By many ways.
"If it is taught . . . " is rhetorical. But you know this if you understand what a rhetorical statement is. Do you? Next: Help un-teach it.
And finally, you wrote: " This has been happening for centuries. It's nothing new." Should I assume that to be a rhetorical statement too? Or, a stupid comment?
From the video that you provided the link to, we know it's been going on for at least three centuries
Then, why do some conservatives try to gaslight anybody they can into believing conservatives don't want to return to the good old days of racial strife and afflictions? Because it is clear, some conservatives don't like change. Change is progress. And that means regression is invalid.
The last time I thought that you wanted to talk about gaslighting, you shot me the bird.
It was a photo of a racist shooting the 'bird' in Ukraine, I reckon. You shouldn't take it personally.
Ok, you flashed as a reply to me twice within an hour saying "This is what it is" when I asked you about gaslighting. My mistake.
It is interesting to me to learn that some conservatives are attempting to explain 'away' accepting the disease of racism here and abroad, while elsewhere on NT making statements that we are a post-racism country and world. Which is it?
It's called a difference of opinions.
Or is it? Waffling or gaslighting?
Gaslighting?
Are you feeling a little crazy?
This is what it is!
I thought you were talking about gaslighting.
This is the topic:
A White Supremacist Group Is Fighting For Ukraine, Can We Trust Them?