Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has once again manipulated and weaponized history to justify Russia’s war againstg Ukraine. In a recent RT article, Medvedev absurdly likens modern Ukraine to Nazi Germany, reviving the false “denazification” narrative that has been exploited to underpin Moscow’s aggression since 2022. This propaganda rhetoric aims to rally domestic support, frame Russia as a victim of Western aggression, and preemptively justify further violence against Ukraine and its allies.
The Claims
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Ukraine is comparable to Nazi Germany
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Dmitry Medvedev asserts that Ukraine is “similar” to Nazi Germany, implying a moral equivalence and that Ukraine is a fascist threat.
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“Denazification” remains justified
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RT reiterates that Russia’s so‑called “de-nazification” mission is still necessary, framing it as combating a genuine totalitarian menace in Kyiv.
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Ukraine is not a democratic nation
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Medvedev claims that “de-nazification” is required to “democratize” Ukraine.
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The Facts
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Ukraine is not a Nazi state
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As in almost all Western nations, extremist and far-right groups also exist in Ukraine—but they are marginal without significant influence in government or military.
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Leading human rights scholars reject Russia’s Ukraine‑Nazism allegations and have identified them as Russian incitement of hate towards Ukraine.
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“De-nazification” is a Kremlin pretext
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The “de-nazification” narrative was invented to rationalize Russia’s full-scale invasion. “De-nazification” of Ukraine has no basis in reality.
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Ukraine is a democratic state; Russia is a repressive anti-democratic authoritarian state.
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Ukraine’s government is elected in transparent elections.
- Russia is an authoritarian state that has not held a fully transparent election in over 30 years.
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Narrative Context
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Invoking WWII for legitimacy
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Equating Ukraine with Nazi Germany activates deep emotional resonance among Russians, invoking the revered “Great Patriotic War” memory and is a key component of the Kremlin’s domestic disinformation campaign designed to sustain popular Russian support for its criminal war against Ukraine.
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Sowing black-and-white moral framing
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Labelling Ukraine an absolute evil simplifies the conflict: Russia as liberator, Ukraine as existential threat. This removes moral nuance and discourages dissent.
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Message testing and escalation ladder
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As noted by Atlantic Council, Medvedev often plays a “court clown” role—uttering extreme rhetoric so Putin appears moderate in comparison.
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Approach any claims from RT about Ukraine’s “Nazification” with deep skepticism. This messaging is rhetorical and strategic, aligned with Kremlin narratives aimed at domestic mobilization and international justification of the invasion. Always consult independent fact-checks from entities like EUvsDisinfo, academic research, and credible news outlets.
