Heading towards World War III?

The infamous Azov nationalist regiment, which is being revived by Ukraine after it surrendered to Russian forces in Mariupol, has removed the Nazi-linked Wolfsangel symbol from its insignia, The Times reported on Monday.

According to the British paper, the unit’s new recruits in the city of Kharkov were sporting patches with a golden trident, which is Ukraine’s national emblem, thereby replacing the Wolfsangel or ‘wolf’s hook’ which had been used by the Azov Battalion since its formation eight years ago.

However, the commander of the new unit, Maksim Zhorin, told that paper that it was formed “on the same principles and ideological basis as the legendary Azov regiment.”

The Wolfsangel is a historic heraldic symbol that was chosen by the Nazis during World War II and appeared on the insignia of several SS divisions.

www.rt.com/news/556379-azov-batallion-nazi-insignia

The Swiss government has vetoed Denmark's request to supply Ukraine with Swiss-made armored vehicles, citing its neutrality policy, broadcaster SRF reported on Wednesday.

Copenhagen planned to donate Piranha III armored personnel carriers to Ukraine for use in the conflict with Russia. The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, however, rejected a request to send around 20 of the vehicles to Kiev.

Denmark previously committed itself not to re-export Swiss-made weapons to other countries without Bern’s approval.

While Switzerland has partially abandoned its long-standing neutrality policy in joining sanctions against Russia over the military offensive against Ukraine, Bern has said its neutrality does not permit the provision of arms for use in conflict zones.

www.rt.com/russia/556431-switzerland-bans-nato-sending-arms

Ukraine cannot be trusted to abide by Washington’s wishes and not use US-supplied rocket launchers against targets in Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. Kiev has a poor record on keeping its word, the official claimed.

Peskov was commenting on the US decision to provide Ukraine with HIMRAS multiple rocket launchers. US officials stated that the weapon systems would not be used against targets in Russia, arguing that this made Washington not a party to the Ukraine conflict.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged to honor the US assurances when he spoke to Newsmax.

“We’re not interested in what’s happening in Russia,” he said in an interview published on Wednesday. “We’re only interested in our own territory in Ukraine.”

When asked about the promise, Peskov said Russia didn’t trust Zelensky to keep his word.

“Unfortunately, such a thing is not what our experience suggests,” he said. Zelensky has been breaking his word throughout his relatively short political career, “starting with his main election campaign promise to put an end to the war in southeastern Ukraine,” Peskov said.

Zelensky, a former comedian, made a surprise switch to politics in January 2019, announcing his decision to run for president. He quickly gained momentum in the race, partly because he had played a character in a political comedy show, who took power in Ukraine by a chance and used it to take down entrenched corruption in the government while challenging global institutions like the International Monetary Fund.

The unorthodox candidate pledged to reconcile with rebel forces of the Donbass, who turned against the central government after the 2014 armed coup in Kiev. He received an unprecedented level of public support, scoring over 73% of votes in the second round face-off against incumbent President Petro Poroshenko.

Instead of delivering peace, Zelensky continued his predecessor’s policies regarding the breakaway republics and openly refused to implement the Minsk agreements, an EU-brokered peace roadmap for the Donbass.

www.rt.com/russia/556436-zelensky-trust-weapons-russia

The German Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that it could not provide details on Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s pledge to supply Ukraine with a certain air defense system. The reason cited was that the Bundeswehr – the nation’s armed forces – does not have the weapon in stock.

The weapon in question is called IRIS-T and it can come in the form of a short-range air-to-air missile or a ground-based short-range or medium-range air defense system.

When asked which of these systems Berlin plans to send Kiev, the Defense Ministry’s spokesman, Naval Captain David Helmbold, replied that “this question should be ultimately addressed to the [defense] industry since we do not have these systems in our service.” He added that he could not clarify the issue as the Bundeswehr does not possess such air-defense systems in its arsenal.

The comment came just hours after Scholz told the parliament that his government planned to send more advanced systems to Ukraine, including an IRIS-T system and counter-battery radars capable of detecting artillery fire and pinpointing the location of the enemy artillery systems that opened it. The chancellor did not elaborate whether he meant air-to-air missiles or ground-based systems when speaking about IRIS-T.

The Bundeswehr does have IRIS-T weapon systems in its arsenal but only in the form of air-to-air missiles mounted on its Eurofighter and Tornado fighters. The system designed to replace the US AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missile has been developed by companies from several nations, including Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Greece among others.

In Germany, IRIS-T is produced by the Diehl arms manufacturer, which offers both the air-to-air missiles and the ground-based systems. Speaking about the potential deliveries to Ukraine, Helmbold said that, when Scholz spoke about the “most modern” air defense system in Germany, he might not have necessarily meant the systems in the military’s possession.

www.rt.com/news/556464-german-army-weapons-chancellor-ukraine

Denmark is making a historic shift. After sitting on the sidelines for 30 years, it could join the European Union's common defence policy. Denmark is also considering allowing US troops on its soil.

Slovakia will deliver eight self-propelled Zuzana 2 Howitzers to Ukraine, the defence ministry in Bratislava has said.

Slovakia has already provided Ukraine with military material worth €153m (£130).

The Zuzana 2 howitzer, a modernised version of an older model, uses 155-mm rounds and has an effective range of 40-50km (25-30 miles) depending on the ammunition type.

The deal is under a commercial contract which a state-controlled producer signed, the ministry said.

www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-61656289