Switzerland Mulls Ending Centuries of Neutrality to Show It’s ‘Part of the Western World’ on Ukraine
Swiss troops attend the annual Bastille Day military ceremony on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, on July 14, 2020.
InternationalIndiaAfricaThe mountainous, landlocked country of 8.7 million hasn’t invaded anyone since 1815, hasn’t fought a major battle since 1499, and has been effectively neutral since 1515. Now, the European security crisis sparked by the NATO-Russia proxy conflict in Ukraine has prompted lawmakers in Bern to rethink the country’s defense exports policy.Swiss lawmakers are considering making alterations to a long-standing ban on the export and re-export of Swiss weaponry and ammunition to the Ukrainian conflict zone amid immense pressure from its European neighbors, the United States, and Kiev.
“We want to be neutral, but we are part of the Western world,” argues Free Democratic Party of Switzerland leader Thierry Burkart –author of a motion calling for arms re-exports to be allowed to select countries which “share Swiss values.”
“We shouldn’t have the veto to stop others helping Ukraine. If we do that, we support Russia which is not a neutral position. Other countries want to support Ukraine and do something for the security and stability of Europe. They cannot understand why Switzerland has to say no,” the liberal centre-right politician suggested.Under current laws, Bern is not only barred from sending its weapons directly to other countries in a state of armed conflict, but forbids states which have purchased Swiss weapons from sending them on to a conflict zone.Burkart’s motion, which he put forward back in June 2022, is expected to be discussed by the Council of States security committee on Friday.
Swiss National Council Approves Revision of Law to Allow Imposing Sanctions Independently9 June 2022, 18:33 GMTCommittee president Werner Salzmann of the national-conservative populist Swiss People’s Party has hinted that he might agree to a compromise in which Swiss weapons could be re-exported out of a country that has purchased Swiss weapons after a five year period.The People’s Party is divided on the idea, with lawmaker David Zuberbueler warning that “allowing arms shipments to a country involved in an armed conflict” threatens to “destro[y] the basis of peace and prosperity in our country.” Social Democrats and the Green Liberals reportedly support changes, while the Green Party opposes them, fearing the policy could turn into a “slippery slope” and end up compromising the country’s long-standing neutrality policy.Notwithstanding the country’s small size, Switzerland’s defense industry and exports are nothing to sneeze at, with the country selling about $876 million worth of armaments in 2021, putting it among the top 15 global defense exporters globally. Swiss-made defense articles include Saurer and Mowag military vehicles and armored personnel carriers, encrypted communications equipment, mine clearing equipment and even tanks and howitzers.Germany, Denmark and Spain already requested to send Swiss-sourced weapons to Ukraine in 2022, but received rejections from Bern.
Russia’s Special Operation in UkraineSwitzerland Stops Danish Arms Assistance to Ukraine2 June 2022, 05:52 GMTIf the five-year rule compromise is allowed, it’s unclear how Swiss authorities would be able to enforce restrictions and guarantee that re-exports comply with the new rules (and, for example, aren’t re-exported in less than five years).In any event, Salzmann stressed that arms deliveries directly to Ukraine are out of the question, saying “if we deliver to Ukraine, then we have to deliver to Russia.”The Security Policy Committee of the National Council, the lower house of the Swiss parliament, rejected a proposal to return 30 decommissioned Leopard tanks to Germany earlier this week, saying they serve as a strategic reserve necessary to maintaining the landlocked country’s tank forces in tiptop shape.
RussiaSwiss Refineries Restart Russian Gold Ingots Imports After Having Halted Them Over Ukraine Conflict 22 June 2022, 14:50 GMT
