According to Russia Today (RT), on December 16, local time, Russia’s “opposition to beautify Nazism” resolution was passed by the United Nations with a high number of votes. Only the United States and Ukraine voted against it. Most European representatives abstained.
According to the report, this Russian drafted bill aims to “combat the beautification of Nazism, including neo-Nazism and other acts that incite racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and other prejudices.” Russia calls on member states to pass legislation. Eliminate all forms of racial discrimination, and condemn all forms of beautification of Nazism, neo-Nazism, the Nazi SS, and all “revisionism” related to World War II.
The report mentioned that although the United States and Russia were allies in World War II, the United States still voted against the bill. In addition, 51 countries including Germany abstained. RT said Ukraine’s vote against it may be related to its domestic politics. Neo-Nazi groups have considerable support in Ukrainian politics. Some of them have also been accused of committing war crimes during the civil war. One group is also equipped with American weapons.
However, RT stated that the U.S.’s representation of its negative vote has nothing to do with supporting Ukrainian neo-Nazi groups. The Russian representative proposes the same bill in the United Nations every year, and the United States opposes it every time, saying that the prohibition of beautifying Nazism is contrary to the “right to freedom of speech” stipulated in the First Amendment to the Constitution.
