Were the Ukrainian soldiers present in Germany really called to order about Nazi symbols? This is what Internet users claim on Twitter by sharing the photo of a poster that appears to come from the German government.
Initially, it was shared by Telegram accounts, mostly pro-Russian. “The trainees from Ukraine are outraged that the Germans are asking them not to paint the swastika on the tanks. The memo indicates that the Germans understand exactly what they are teaching those who follow Hitler’s ideology,” said a person who shared the poster.
The poster in question appears to be from the government. At the top left, we read “Bundesministerium der Verteidigung”, which would be none other than the Federal Ministry of Defence. The message reads: “In Germany, a sentence of up to three years in prison can be imposed with a heavy fine for displaying swastikas or other symbols related to fascism.”
Is this poster authentic? 20 minutes make the point.
FAKE OFF
At first sight, the poster seems official with the usual elements of press releases: the tricolor flag – black, red, yellow – as well as the country’s emblem, the eagle. But a first detail calls out: why is the official press release intended for Ukrainian soldiers written in German without being translated?
Contacted by 20 minutes, the German Ministry of Defense denies being at the origin of this text. The spokesperson for the Special Instructions Command indicates that no such poster has been posted on the walls and that the ministry is in no way responsible for this message.
Training in Germany
The publication of the poster certainly echoes the current presence of Ukrainian soldiers in Germany to learn how to handle Leopard 2 A6 tanks. From the end of March, fourteen copies will be delivered by the German government to Ukraine and therefore require prior training.
But it seems above all that this disinformation contributes to Russian propaganda. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine – a year ago now – a theory has indeed often come up among pro-Putin: that according to which the war would serve to “denazify Ukraine”, a term widely used in the speeches of the Russian president. Only, if it has already been proven that extremist groups exist in Ukraine, nothing indicates that the entire Ukrainian regime is based on a Nazi ideology.
One element remains true in the message: German law prohibits the wearing or display of any object or sign in reference to Nazism and can punish it with a prison sentence of up to three years in prison.