Ukrainian punk band Beton who reimagined ‘London Calling’ address fascist links

Ukrainian punk band Beton have opened up on their alleged links to fascist groups.

The band rose to prominence earlier this week after releasing a reimagining of The Clash’s “London Calling” as “Kyiv Calling”, to raise money for those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.

After being photographed wearing shirts brandishing the name of Ukrainian Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera, Beton have looked to clarify their position: “We understand that perceptions of Bandera around the world are different from those held by many Ukrainians.”

Beton were criticised by Billy Bragg who initially supported the band’s song. “We can argue about the meaning of ‘London Calling’ and what Joe Strummer would or wouldn’t have said about the lyrical changes, but we can be damn sure that he would not have allowed his song to be utilised by a band that expressed their support for fascists,” wrote the British songwriter.

In their statement, Beton continued: “Like many eastern European countries during the 20th Century, Ukraine suffered greatly from being invaded by both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Badera’s passion for Ukrainian independence led him to both collaborate with the Nazis and then turn against them when they tried to suppress the country. During the most troubling period in our nation’s history, Bandera was sent to a concentration camp for resisting the Nazis.”

The band concluded by saying: “This is the Ukraine that we are fighting for – a place where people of all races and creeds can work together to build a nation free from oppression.”

Bandera is a divisive figure in European history. He was initially arrested by the Gestapo upon Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union but later released to try and undermine Russian advances into Ukraine and further west.

He and his followers are largely held responsible for the massacres of ethnic Poles that took place in Ukraine towards the end of the Second World War.

An outspoken anti-Semite, Bandera is also seen as responsible for enabling the Holocaust in Ukraine. He was assassinated in 1959 by the KGB after moving to West Germany at the end of the war.

The three-piece punk rockers were given permission by The Clash to rerecord their iconic song and put a personal twist on it.

The song features many changed lyrics from the original including: “The iron age is coming, the curtain's coming down/Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin”.

There are also lyrics that are critical of NATO’s stance on refusing to establish a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine, a move many experts warn would drastically worsen the conflict.

The lyrics go: “Kyiv calling to the NATO zone/Forget it, brother, we cant go it alone/Kyiv calling to the zombies of death/Quit holding Putin up, and draw another breath”.

The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.