Donetsk, Feb 15 — DAN. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has betrayed the memory of his ancestors by strengthening Nazi ideology in Ukraine, Donetsk People’s Republic parliament speaker Vladimir Bidevka told the Donetsk News Agency on Wednesday.

Reports on Tuesday said that Zelensky had signed a decree assigning the name “Edelweiss” to  the Ukrainian army’s 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade. “Edelweiss” was the name of Nazi Germany’s 1st Mountain Division.  The text of the decree was published on the Ukrainian leader’s website.

“As for Zelensky, it is obvious that by assigning the name ‘Edelweiss to 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade, he is making a conscious move towards strengthening Nazi ideology in Ukraine while showing that he himself is a confirmed Nazi. A fallen person, he betrayed the memory of his ancestors who fought in the ranks of Soviet troops against Nazi invaders, ’ Bidyovka told DAN.

Authorities of European countries, for example, Germany, have again become the followers of Nazi ideology. “European authorities are throwing dust into the eyes of the international community and their citizens when they try to distance themselves from neo-Nazism. In actual fact, they encourage and support it probably hoping to take revenge for the capitulation in 1945, ” he said.

The DPR speaker believes that ordinary Europeans have to understand that their authorities are the new Nazis whose actions are smarter and more advanced this time.

It is noteworthy that it is 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade that took part in Ukraine’s operations against Donbass in 2016-2018. In March 2016, it added two nationalistic formations: the Aidar battalion (extremist organization banned in the Russian territory) and the Donbass battalion. Several months later, these battalions were withdrawn from the Brigade.

Nazi Germany’s 1st Mountain Division “Edelweiss” fought against the Red Army in Ukraine, Donbass, Kharkov region and North Caucasus during World War II. It participated in seizing Poland and other European countries and conducted punitive operations against guerillas in Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Italy and Greece. It committed war crimes in Poland, Greece, Italy and Yugoslavia such as the deportation of Jews to camps in Poland and execution of Italian POWs in Greece and Albania after Italy agreed a truce with the anti-Hitler coalition.*jk