Ukrainian president accuses left parties of being pro-Russian
Ukrainian president Volodimir Zelenskiy has today broadcast a video message banning eleven left-wing opposition parties, claiming that they are pro-Russian. The move has been criticised as an opportunistic move to remove political opposition, though Zelenskiy has been given a free pass by western media.
Opposition Platform – For Life, Sharij’s Party, Nashi, Opposition Bloc, Left Opposition, Union of Left Forces, Derzhava, Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, Socialist Party of Ukraine, the Socialists, and Volodymyr Saldo’s Bloc are now all outlawed and facing severe repression.
At the same time, numerous videos have emerged claiming to show Ukrainian citizens, including children, being tied to lampposts and other street furniture and beaten by members of the Ukrainian neo-nazi ‘Azov’ militia and others, allegedly for dissent. Azov and other right-wing extremist groups continue to be welcomed by the Ukrainian government, with members reportedly receiving medals from the president.
Zelenskiy has also consolidated all the nation’s TV channels, claiming the need to present only one narrative to the people of Ukraine.
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