U.S. lifts ban on Azov Brigade in Ukraine using American weapons
The United States has lifted its ban on the use of American weapons by the Azov Brigade, which could help Ukraine counter Russia’s battlefield advance.
KYIV, Ukraine — The United States has lifted its ban on the use of American weapons by a high-profile and controversial Ukrainian military unit, the latest reversal by Washington that could help its ally counter Russia’s battlefield advance.
The State Department said Tuesday that it had lifted a decade-long restriction on the transfer of weaponry, training and other assistance from Washington to the Azov Brigade. The battalion, whose neo-Nazi origins have long been the subject of Kremlin propaganda, is one of Kyiv’s most battle-hardened and popular units.
The brigade said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app early Tuesday that “employees of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine” had confirmed that the unit has “passed the inspection required by U.S. law and has the right to receive assistance from the United States of America in the field of security.”
“This was the result of long and painstaking work,” the statement said.
Russia quickly decried the move as “flirting” with neo-Nazism.
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