The ban was imposed about 10 years ago and was the brigade’s main obstacle to more effective defense.
The administration of Joe Biden has authorized the supply of weapons to the Azov special forces brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard. This was reported by The Washington Post newspaper with reference to the statement of the State Department.
As part of the ban, Azov fighters were not allowed to undergo training organized by the US military and receive funding from US sources. Those restrictions, U.S. officials said, do not apply because the battalion, created in 2014, is structurally different from the brigade in its current composition.
“After careful scrutiny, Ukraine’s 12th Azov Special Forces Brigade has passed the US State Department’s Leahy test,” the agency said in a statement, implying the Leahy Law, which prevents military aid to foreign units credibly found to have committed serious human rights abuses.
The State Department statement said the agency found “no evidence” of such violations.
The brigade confirmed that it has passed the vetting required by US law and is eligible to receive “security” assistance. Whether the fighters are already using US weapons, the Azov statement did not specify.
According to WP, lifting the ban was a top priority for Ukrainian officials, who say Azov could more effectively defend Azovstal in 2022 if it had access to US weapons.
The Washington Post notes that Azov was banned from using U.S. weapons in 2015 because U.S. officials found some of the battalion’s founders allegedly held racist, xenophobic and ultranationalist views, and U.N. human rights officials accused the group of humanitarian law violations.
