Memories are made of this

Russia Insider
Does this Chilling Neo-Nazi Torch-lit March through Kiev Remind You of Something?
Damir Marinovic

Russian Lawmakers Outraged as Kiev Declares Pro-Nazi Force Creation Date as National Holiday

Tass

Many Russian legislators are deeply angered by Kiev’s decision to declare October 14, the day when the pro-Nazi Ukrainian Insurgent Army was created during World War II in 1942, as Defender of the Nation Day and a public holiday. The UIA gained notoriety as an active collaborator with the Nazi force of occupation and participant in many WW II massacres of civilian population. Members of both houses of the Russian parliament interpreted this move as Kiev’s official confirmation of its commitment to Nazi ideas....

“Certainly, each country has the right to introduce its own memorable dates, but the fact that October 14 was selected to cater to the tastes of the followers of Stepan Bandera (UIA founder) regrettably shows once again that Kiev is officially supportive of Nazi ideology,” said State Duma Deputy Speaker Sergey Zheleznyak. “It also confirms the dependence of the Ukrainian authorities in their decision-making on radical nationalists and the attempt to trample underfoot the common history of our countries and peoples, and ridicule World War II veterans and the memory of millions of people who gave their lives for the sake of our great victory in those awesome battles.” 

“Mr. Poroshenko has instituted a special holiday honouring Ukraine’s number one Nazi henchman. He did that in a very cynical way by abolishing the existing holiday, revered by many millions of officers and men, both retired and still in active service,” Zheleznyak said.

Meanwhile, in Japan…

Bloomberg
Abe Sends Offering to Tokyo War Shrine as Lawmakers Visit
Takashi Hirokawa

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent an offering to a Tokyo war shrine in lieu of a visit, which may have provoked the ire of China and South Korea and undermined his push for summits with both nations’ leaders. 

A cross-party group of 110 lawmakers visited Yasukuni Shrine today, upper house lawmaker Toshiei Mizuochi told reporters. Abe’s offering of a traditional “masakaki,” a leafy branch on a stand swathed in colorful cloth, was confirmed by a shrine spokesman. At least one cabinet minister is expected to pay their respects today, at the start of the shrine’s autumn festival. 

Abe’s donation to a shrine seen by many as a symbol of Japan’s past aggression in Asia comes as he pushes for meetings with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping and South Korean Park Geun Hye at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Beijing next month. Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso may hold talks with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang on the sidelines of a meeting of finance ministers in Beijing next week, the Nikkei newspaper reported today, citing people it did not identify. 

“As long as Abe and any of the key ministers don’t go, Yasukuni will not be a roadblock to summit meetings,” Jeff Kingston, Director of Asian Studies at Temple University in Tokyo, said by e-mail. “Abe doesn’t want to be seen to be kowtowing to Beijing to get a meeting, but also doesn’t want to derail that possibility given that it seems to be a done deal.”

Internal Affairs Minister Sanae Takaichi said this week she would visit the shrine for the autumn festival. Yasukuni honors millions of Japanese war dead, including 14 wartime leaders convicted as Class A War criminals after the war. 

The US is OK is all this.