Switzerland proposes to reconsider neutrality due to war in Ukraine
Switzerland proposes to reconsider neutrality due to war in Ukraine (photo: Getty Images)
An expert working group on Swiss security issues set up by the Ministry of Defense suggested that the government reconsider neutrality. Emphasis is on military cooperation with NATO and the European Union, reports Politico.
“Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, neutrality has once again become the subject of political debate, both at home and abroad. Pressure on Switzerland to clarify its position is growing,” the report says.
The experts do not propose that Switzerland completely abandon its neutrality and join NATO, but call for deepening ties with the Alliance and the EU for joint training, ballistic missile defense, bilateral and multilateral exercises.
Moreover, the report calls for increasing military spending to 1% of GDP by 2030. Currently, Switzerland spends 0.76% of GDP on defense.
The authors of the report also recommend lifting the ban on arms re-exports, as Bern currently prohibits the sale of weapons to countries at war. As a result, arms exports decreased by 27% last year and amounted to less than 746 million euros.
The current neutrality has also affected Switzerland's relations with other countries that would like to send weapons with Swiss components to Ukraine but cannot.
Switzerland had previously refused to re-export ammunition to Ukraine from Germany. However, after another refusal in November 2022, the German parliament urged MPs to reconsider the logistics of supplying ammunition through Switzerland, which refuses to supply Ukraine with shells for Gepard anti-aircraft systems.
Switzerland still stated that it did not plan to allow the re-export of Swiss weapons supplied to Germany and Spain to Ukraine due to its neutrality.
Last year, the Security Policy Commission of the lower house of the Swiss parliament passed a motion that would allow the re-export of weapons from third countries to Ukraine.
