Labour MP ‘honoured’ to meet Ukrainian closely linked to neo-Nazi Azov Battalion

Labour MP Alex Sobel said it was his “honour” to meet Ukrainian campaigner Kateryna Prokopenko. But he forgot to mention some important context. Because Prokopenko’s husband Denys is the commander of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion. And as journalist Asa Winstanley pointed out, pro-Israel liberals like Sobel seem keen to cooperate with Ukraine’s far right.

This woman’s husband is Denys Prokopenko, the commander of Ukraine’s Nazi Azov Battalion: https://t.co/44oBvRTvrr

— Asa Winstanley (@AsaWinstanley) March 5, 2025

What is Azov?

As Al Jazeera has reported, the Azov unit:

was initially formed as a volunteer group in May 2014 out of the ultra-nationalist Patriot of Ukraine gang, and the neo-Nazi Social National Assembly (SNA) group. Both groups engaged in xenophobic and neo-Nazi ideals and physically assaulted migrants, the Roma community and people opposing their views.

Its founder Andriy Biletsky claimed in 2010 that it was Ukraine’s purpose to:

lead the white races of the world in a final crusade … against Semite-led Untermenschen [inferior races]

In a context of significant US and UK military presence around the world, NATO expansion eastwards despite alleged promises to the contrary at the end of the Cold War, and US withdrawals from important arms treaties with Russia, a 2014 Western-backed coup brought a neoliberal-ultranationalist alliance to power in Ukraine. The far right – including Azov – grew in power as a result with Western complicity, and opposed attempts at peace.

As Azov organised to fight in the areas of eastern Ukraine with large Russian-speaking communities from 2014 onwards, it received support both from the Ukrainian government and billionaire oligarchs. Over 14,000 people reportedly died.

When Russia finally invaded in 2022, it used Azov’s presence as a justification. And during the conflict, Azov has played a key role. Even the US initially held back support due to the group’s far-right links.

Palestine and Israel, Ukraine and Russia

Sobel, like others in the current Labour government, often spoke about genocide before Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza began in late 2023, but became very quiet about genocide as it was unfolding in occupied Palestine.

He seems to be less hawkish than those to his right in the party, speaking out regularly against the horrors unfolding. But he has also criticised people seeking accountability during the genocide. And he appears to have a close connection with controversial liberal Zionist lobby group Yachad, which has previously sought to smear prominent pro-Palestinian voices and supported the highly controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism, which dangerously conflates criticism of Israel (or anti-Zionism) with antisemitism.

Pro-Israel voices and the far right have long cosied up with each other, and that extends to billionaires and establishment liberals (including Labour in the UK). What do they have in common? They don’t really care about how many lives are destroyed by their political games. All seem to want power and resources without accountability. They want to be above the law. And we must call out their toxic alliance of death and destruction at every turn – including with the Azov Battalion.

Featured image via screengrab