Framing Ukrainian identity as inherently tied to “Nazism”

What it claims

Ukrainian nation-building and national memory are portrayed as inextricably linked to Nazi ideology and collaboration. By distorting historical context and manipulating statements from foreign politicians, this narrative promotes the claim that modern Ukraine cannot exist without radical ideologies.

Target audience

Examples (paraphrased)

We paraphrase rather than quote: propaganda's exact wording is built to spread, so we carry the claim and not the craft. Each example cites the post it came from.

• Ukraine supposedly has no basis for its identity other than Nazi ideology, as there is allegedly nothing else in its history.

  Margarita Simonyan, 26 Jul 2026

  x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2081449422349910213

• Due to the honoring of historical figures labeled as collaborators and high levels of corruption, Ukraine's path to the European Union is supposedly blocked.

  Margarita Simonyan, 27 Jul 2026

  x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2081709882596573669

We link archived copies rather than the posts themselves, so that checking our work sends no traffic to the source. Where a platform cannot be archived, we print the post's address instead of linking it.

Goal

To discredit Ukrainian statehood in the eyes of the international community and sow discord with neighbors, particularly Poland, by exploiting painful historical issues.

Techniques used

• Name Calling or LabelingUsing labels like “Nazism” and “collaborators” to describe modern state symbols and identity.
• Causal OversimplificationReducing the entire multifaceted history of Ukraine solely to the 1940s and the activities of specific organizations.

The real grievance it exploits

The complex and tragic history of the 20th century, which remains a subject of sharp debate and emotional tension in Ukrainian and Polish societies.

How to counter

• Reframe: Modern Ukrainian identity is based on the desire for freedom, democracy, and the defense of sovereignty, rather than on the ideologies of the last century.
• Technique exposure: Manipulators intentionally focus on the most controversial moments of history to block Ukraine's European integration and alienate it from its allies.

Sources (all time)

• ЗеРадаTier 1424,849 subscribers
  3 posts · 22–23 Jul 2026

  • 23 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31541
  • 23 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31532
  • 22 Jul · t.me/ZeRada1/31526
• Margarita SimonyanTier 1560,000 followers
  5 posts · 26–31 Jul 2026

  • 31 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2083187626048188781
  • 31 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2083140649801351548
  • 27 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2081779529085779985
  • 27 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2081709882596573669
  • 26 Jul · x.com/M_Simonyan/status/2081449422349910213