The US lifts a ban on sending weapons to a controversial Ukrainian military unit

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The United States has lifted a ban on providing American weapons and training to a controversial Ukrainian military unit that was key to the defense of the major port city of Mariupol. The Azov Brigade is among Ukraine’s most effective and popular fighting units. But it has been dogged by its origins as a volunteer battalion that drew fighters from far-right circles and criticism for some of its tactics. The U.S. had banned the regiment from using American weapons, citing the neo-Nazi ideology of some of its founders. The unit has been absorbed into Ukraine’s National Guard as the 12th Special Forces Brigade. Its current members reject accusations of extremism and any ties with far-right movements.