I'd argue that before 2014 Ukraine had almost zero *Ukrainian* right-wing movement. Because the right wing movement it had was inseparable from the Russian far right. Back in 2011 the leader of Azov proclaimed confederation with Russia (with capital in Kyiv) as the ultimate goal

Sounds crazy? That is a good indicator that we lack historical reasoning. We have no idea how drastically and quickly the things change. We fundamentally underestimate how much the present is different from the past, and thus how different the future will be from the present

We also underestimate the fundamental is the effect of what happened after 2014. Prior to 2014, the Ukrainian state, the army, the state security, the military industry, and of course the far right were tied with *tons* of connections with their colleagues in Russia

After 2014 these connections were broken. Not immediately of course and I think it is the 2022 that made the final blow. But they were broken. Partially, it was the state policy. For example, Russian military industry substituted the Ukrainian components. Real import substitution

Ties were also broken on personal and organisational level. Both in Russia and in Ukraine people had to make a choice. Thus the previously united ecosystem was broken: some of the Ukrainian far right chose Russia, and some of the Russian ones chose Ukraine

Overall though I'll argue that the actual influence of the far right ideas in Ukraine is indeed vastly overestimated and their influence in Russia is just as vastly underestimated. Partially because in Russia it is not reflected. Russians will deny their racism etc. passionately

Russian society is deeply permeated by the far right agenda, but it too embedded to be reflected. It is just normal, reasonable way to look at things. People who casually advocate for completely exterminating certain ethnicities will get furious if you suggest they are racist

That's what foreigners misunderstand about the WWII cult. It's not about antifascism or progressivism. It's 100% about the Russian ethnic narcissism. We saved humanity! Everyone owes us forever. Now we have a free check to do whatever forever. Whoever stands against us is Nazi

That's why neighbouring countries were rather unenthusiastic about the cult of the Great Victory. For example, Kazakhstan, even when it was in good relations in Moscow. Nobody perceives it as a "fight against fascism". It is seen as a collective imperialist masturbation. The end