Ukraine urged the US to exclude Azov Brigade from the appropriations bill

Denys “Redis” Prokopenko calls on the United States to exclude Azov Brigade from the appropriations bill.

The appropriations bill does not allow for the provision of NATO weapons to the Ukrainian brigade.

The brigade commander noted that a number of US consolidated appropriations bills still contained an amendment that prohibited the use of funds “for arming, training or otherwise assisting the Azov Battalion.”

“How many lives of personnel could have been saved and what would have been the results of the defense of the city [Mariupol – Ed.] if, in addition to high motivation, coordination and professionalism, the Azov soldiers had modern armored vehicles and artillery systems at their disposal,” said Denys Prokopenko.

The colonel pointed out that the Leahy Law had been applied to Azov Brigade without any evidence, based on the characterization of Western media that had formed their attitude under the influence of Russian propaganda.

Prokopenko explained that this amendment had been the reason why the brigade had not had Western weapons during the defense of Mariupol in 2022.

“Because of this amendment, even after 2022, Azov is still unable to send its soldiers to most of the leading Western military exercises and does not receive the necessary weapons that the allies are giving to Ukraine,” call sign “Redis” continued.

The colonel noted that “there is also no evidence or confirmation of the accusations that Russian propaganda has been making against the Azov Brigade for 10 years.”

Currently, delegations of the brigade’s soldiers are being received in the United States and Europe. The soldiers of the Azov Brigade hold meetings with the U.S. Congress officials, human rights organizations, spoke at the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and the best Western universities.

According to Prokopenko, the Azov Brigade is welcomed at the highest level throughout the Western world, but the brigade has not yet been provided with weapons.

Call sign “Redis” added that Azov Brigade had been the first unit in Ukraine to adopt NATO standards on its own initiative: “Without Western weapons, in 10 years we have become one of the most combat-ready units in the country.”

He called to remove the brigade from the appropriations bill and all “black lists.”