A member of Ukraine’s ultra-nationalist Azov unit and convicted war criminal Dmitry Kanuper received a standing ovation during a conference at the Danish parliament. Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, and parliamentary speaker Soren Gade attended the event, which took place on February 19.
Established as a volunteer battalion in 2014 and incorporated into Ukraine’s National Guard a year later, Azov has faced accusations of war crimes and was formally designated as a terrorist organization by Russia in 2022. The unit, co-founded by prominent Ukrainian white supremacist Andrey Biletsky, has openly welcomed neo-Nazis into its ranks.
Azov uses the Wolfsangel, a rune adopted by several German divisions during World War II, including the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich.
Il nazista ucraino Dmytro Kanuper di Azov ha tenuto un discorso al parlamento danese, dove ha ricevuto una standing ovation. Kanuper è stato recentemente liberato dalla prigionia russa nonostante fosse accusato di crimini di guerra a Mariupol. pic.twitter.com/QaQogYpPXL
— Chance 🤺 Giardiniere 🍊 🔞 (@ChanceGardiner) February 22, 2025
The unit was decimated during the battle of Mariupol in 2022, when many of its members, including Kanuper, were taken prisoner.
In September 2023, a Russian court sentenced Kanuper to 29 years in prison for war crimes. According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, in March 2022, the Azovite opened fire on a civilian vehicle, killing two unarmed men, and later shot a third civilian on the street.
Kanuper, however, was eventually released as part of a prisoner swap and, according to Ukrainian media, returned home in September 2024. His meeting with Danish politicians was organized by the Ukrainian World Congress and the local diaspora community in the country. Benny Engelbrecht, a member of parliament for the Social Democrats, has thanked Kanuper for his “powerful story” and fighting for “Ukraine’s freedom.”
Russia has accused the West of turning a blind eye to war crimes committed by Ukrainian troops and “encouraging” attacks on civilians.
In September 2023, a Ukrainian man who served in Nazi Germany’s 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS received a standing ovation in the Canadian parliament. The incident caused an uproar from Jewish groups and led to the resignation of the parliamentary speaker.
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