US Lifts Ban on Arming Controversial Ukrainian Military Unit

The US State Department has lifted a decade-old ban on the Ukrainian Azov Brigade's use of American training and weapons. The decision comes after a new analysis found no evidence of human rights violations by the unit, which has been dogged by its links to right-wing extremists. The Azov Brigade is one of Ukraine's most effective and popular fighting units, but had previously been banned from using US arms due to concerns over neo-Nazi ideology among some of its founders. The unit rejects accusations of extremism and any ties with far-right movements.