Swiss military ready to join peacekeeping mission in Ukraine - Reuters
Photo: Switzerland is ready for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine (GettyImages)
Switzerland has declared its readiness to send up to 200 soldiers to participate in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, provided a request is received from the United Nations, Reuters reports.
Switzerland is ready to consider participation in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine if the government receives and approves a formal request, said Swiss armed forces chief Thomas Suessli in an interview published on Sunday.
Suessli clarified that Switzerland could likely deploy up to 200 soldiers within nine to twelve months. However, he emphasized that the final decision would depend on coordination with the government and parliament of the country. All discussions about sending peacekeepers remain hypothetical, as it is unclear how the situation between Russia and Ukraine will develop.
"There's no peace yet, and there's been no request from the United Nations," Suessli noted, adding that discussions are focused solely on potential scenarios in the event of stabilization of the situation.
Switzerland, known for its neutrality, already participates in several peacekeeping missions worldwide. One of the largest is the mission in Kosovo, where Swiss soldiers support the NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR).
European countries continue to discuss the possibility of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, which has been ongoing for three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
It should be noted that European leaders have discussed the potential deployment of up to 25,000 troops as part of a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. However, military analysts predict that a full-scale operation may require around 120,000 troops.
