U.S. Ends Weapon Ban; Ukraine’s Azov Regiment Celebrates The Decision

Picture courtesy: (PILIPEY/AFP) Ukrainian forces from the 92nd Assault Brigade fired BM-21 ‘Grad’ multiple rocket launchers at Russian positions in the Kharkiv region during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

(The Post News)– Ukraine’s Azov brigade on Tuesday applauded Washington’s decision to restore it access to US military supplies, ending a decade-long embargo imposed over the unit’s initial harsh nationalist ideology.

The brigade has almost reached cult status in Ukraine, thanks to its weeks-long defense of the Azovstal plant in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol at the start of the war.
However, Russia denounces the unit as a neo-Nazi and ultranationalist organization.

The US Department of State, stated that it had done a “thorough review” of the present Azov brigade and discovered “no evidence” of human rights breaches.

Washington also stated that the current Azov brigade differs from the initial militia formation, allowing it to use US-supplied weapons.
“This is a new page in the history of our brigade,” Azov wrote on social media.

The original “Azov battalion” was marred by allegations that some of its members harboured overtly far-right and extremist beliefs.

However, Washington stated that the militia was “disbanded in 2015” and that the new brigade passed a vetting process under the Leahy regulations, which prohibit US funding for forces involved in human rights crimes.

In a statement, Ukraine State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel praised Azov’s “heroic role” in the 2022 struggle for Mariupol. On Tuesday, Moscow criticised the lifting of the ban and reiterated its allegations against the group.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Washington’s rapid shift in stance indicates a willingness to suppress Russia, even if it means collaborating with neo-Nazi groups.

Azov sympathisers and members have frequently denied the claims, claiming that the former militia has moved beyond its far-right roots.

“The lie about Azov, which the Kremlin regime has been spreading in the West for years, received a devastating strike today,” Azov stated on Tuesday.

Azov, now a member of Ukraine’s National Guard, has long lobbied for the restriction to be overturned, a decision that comes as its fighters struggle with supply shortages.