Russia-Ukraine War: The far right cheering for Putin and the 'New International Order'

By Milton Alves 

There's an old saying that in war, the first casualty is truth. In the current armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, old lies, half-truths, fake news, and narratives from the warring parties are being used as weapons of war—all amplified by the reach and permeability of social media.

Well, one of the arguments in Putin's narrative to justify the aggression against Ukraine is the supposed "denazification" of the country, governed by the far right and led by Volodymyr Zelensky. It is true that Nazi parties and militias exist and operate in Ukraine, but they are minority forces that did not reach 5% of the vote in the last presidential elections.

Parties such as Svobada (Pan-Ukrainian Union for Freedom) and the Right Sector have no representation in the Ukrainian national parliament. There are also paramilitary militias operating in the east of the country, fighting against the pro-Russian separatist republics of Donetsk and Luhansk—and the notorious Azov Battalion, which was incorporated into the Ukrainian National Guard.

Putin's argument for the "denazification" of the neighboring country stumbles when a closer look at the mosaic of political-ideological factions supporting his government reveals the solid presence of far-right forces: fundamentalist conservatives, ultranationalists, pan-Slavists, monarchists, and Nazi-fascists. Dozens of groups, small parties, and militias operate in the country, defending Putin's ideology of rebuilding "Greater Russia" and a "New International Order." Many of these groups and activists also operate within factions of the ruling party, United Russia (in Russian Единая Россия).

Following the end of the Soviet Union and the trauma of a savage and mafia-like capitalist restoration, ultranationalist and pan-Slavic theories gained momentum in the Russian Federation, regaining a wide audience in universities, social research centers, cultural institutions, the press, and political activity.

In this context, intellectuals such as Sergey Karaganov (currently honorary president of the Russian Council on Foreign Relations and Defense Policy, academic supervisor of the School of International Economics and Foreign Relations at the Higher School of Economics – HSE in Moscow) and Alexander Dugin (philosopher, political scientist, director of the Research Center on Conservatism at the Faculty of Sociology of Moscow State University. Founder of the Eurasian International Movement and ideologue of National Bolshevism and the Fourth Political Theory) exert strong influence in the upper echelons of the Russian political establishment, including diplomacy and the Army.

In the current context of radicalization of the political debate that divides the left in Brazil and the world regarding the Russo-Ukrainian war, it is necessary to make an effort to understand the underlying motivations of the dominant group that has held power in Russia for almost three decades. It is possible to assert that Putin represents an aggressive expansionist vocation and a reactionary worldview, with sectarian and dangerous pan-Slavic ideas, therefore antagonistic to any progressive, anti-imperialist, or democratizing trait.

Here's a brief profile of some of the groups active in the Russian political scene that provide militant support to Putin's government:

– The Wagner Group militias (Russian: Группа Вагнера) are a neo-Nazi paramilitary organization with links within the Russian Armed Forces. Currently, the militia is engaged in combat in various regions of Ukraine and has bases in annexed Crimea. Wagner militiamen have operated in Syria and provide services to governments and companies in Eastern Europe and Africa. The militia is known for its extremely violent actions against civilian populations.

– Interbrigades (Russian: Интербригады) is a movement created by the former National Bolshevik political party. The "Other Russia" brigade participates directly in the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine alongside the defenders of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic.

The Russian Orthodox Army (Russian: Русская православная армия, Russkaya pravoslavnaya armiya) is a militant group from eastern Ukraine that was founded in May 2014 as part of the insurgency in Donbass.

– Slavic Unification and Revival Battalion or Svarozhich Battalion – The battalion was formed by members of the Rodnovery movement (native Slavic faith), at its peak numbering 1.200 fighters, who are now part of the Vostok Brigade.

– Detachment Jovan Šević (Serbian: одред «Јован Шевић») – a group composed of Chetniks (the Chetniks were supporters of the monarchy and collaborators with the fascists and Nazis during World War II), led by Serbian Bratislav Živković, with 450 fighters.

– RNU Volunteer Units – Includes volunteers from the Russian National Unity and other neo-Nazi organizations.

Furthermore, factions within governments, parties, and far-right leaders in Europe—with political influence and representation in the European Parliament—sympathize with many of the ideas advocated by Putin, Karaganov, and Dugin. This is evident in Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic; in Austria (FPÖ - Freedom Party); in Germany (AfD); and in France (Marine Le Pen's National Rally and Erich Zemmour's Reconquête). In the United States, groups linked to Steve Bannon's movement exist, and in Brazil, sectors of Bolsonaro's supporters, sympathizers of the legacy of journalist Olavo de Carvalho, and the Duginists of Nova Resistência are also present.

Finally, I hope for an immediate ceasefire, support for the victims and those displaced by the war, and a negotiated solution based on the principles of self-determination of peoples and international law—without annexations or sanctions.