Sure but to an external observer it matters, especially if my country is explicitly supporting their cause.

Why does it matter? I'm also an external observer in a country that's supporting to Ukraine but I recognise the reality that Azov is an unfortunate necessity created by multiple Russian invasions.

How though? Ukrainians were in the same boat as the polish as undesirables under nazism so I don’t see why it would be a necessity.

It was a pragmatic necessity for Ukraine's government to allow them to fight once they were created because of the size differential. Ukraine's government didn't create them.

Had the Nazis been purged between 2014 and today Russia would have most likely not invaded.

Least we forget that during that period Nazi death squads killed more people in the break away regions than have so far died in this war. The last time US citizens were killed abroad in large numbers by the army of another country was the Alamo and we still remember it.

You obviously don't like nazis but you openly suggest "purging" humans.

I’m going to be honest, Nazis don’t feel like people worth having around and so subhuman in many ways. A bloodthirsty person isn’t a human, it’s a monster that needs to be… purged, like we do with common murderous criminals. Yes, I’m actively campaigning for the lynching of Nazis.

Nazis were chanting along the same lines against Jews. I don't want to believe you really mean what you are saying. Spreading hate on the internet is much removed from really wanting to kill humans and that's also much removed from being able to actually do it.

The problem isn't really purging Nazis per se, it's the sleight of hand that Russian propagandists use at the last minute to switch "Nazis" with "Ukrainians" or "Ukrainian government".

In the abstract, sure, we all want to purge Nazis. But not if you're saying Nazis == Ukrainians. If you defined Nazis to mean Putin's Wagner Group (headed by a guy with SS tattoo), then sure, I'd agree.

What's so cynical about all this is how they've undermined our language and our ability to talk about fascism (as exemplified by modern Russia) by coopting the linguistic tools that we use (the word Nazi) to do so. It's depressingly effective propaganda.

Ukraine is the only country in the world to have _literal_ nazi swastikas on regimental flags.

Somehow the same people who thought the OK symbol was a secret white supremacist dog whistle are now coming out of the wood work saying that akshually it's only 40% of the Ukrainian army that has Nazi tattoos and it's fine.

It's nowhere near 40% of the Ukrainian army. It's more like somewhere between 20%-100% of Azov, which themselves are less than 1% of the Ukrainian army.

And as we've already been through, Ukraine has no ability to pick and choose who is allowed to defend them from multiple Russian invasions. They are significantly smaller. Such luxuries only apply to strong countries that aren't being invaded. You keep dishonestly comparing Ukraine (small country being invaded) to the US (country not being invaded).

If Ukraine wasn't under constant threat of invasion from Russia, then I'd be the first to criticize their decision making around Azov.

No, your first sentence presumes that the Kremlin propaganda is truthful. Putin's ambitions have nothing to do with neo-Nazis in Ukraine, as his own writings over many years reveal. It's imperial ambition.

Ukraine was smart not to get rid of Azov. Putin invaded once for made up reasons, no reason to think he won't do it again. Ukraine's understanding of fascist Russia's true self was correct.

Sure, but if they had killed a few hundred Nazis 14,000 civilians wouldn't have been killed by Nazis.

That sounds like a win no matter what.

Are you saying 14,000 civilians were killed by neo-Nazis in the Donbas? Do you have a source for that?