Army chief Süssli warns against expansion of the Ukraine war in Europe
Published: Friday, Feb 2nd 2024, 22:20
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In the midst of the discussion about liquidity bottlenecks in the military, army chief Thomas Süssli has warned of an expansion of the war in Ukraine in Europe. "We must prepare ourselves for the possibility that the war in Europe could spread," he said in an interview.
There is a consensus among European army chiefs that there could be an escalation with Russia, said Süssli in an interview with the Tamedia newspapers published online on Friday. "Everyone fears an escalation of the situation." Switzerland is part of the European security architecture and could therefore also be affected.
Sweden and other countries are preparing their populations for this, said the 57-year-old, who has been head of the army since the beginning of 2020. The Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, has also advised European countries to deal with this.
"War against the West"
"Russia has consistently switched to a war economy. This is difficult to reverse," said Süssli. Russia is currently producing more war goods than before the war, including ballistic missiles and precision missiles. "And it has also changed its narrative." We are no longer talking about a "special operation". Instead, war is now being waged against the West. "These are alarming signs that there could be an escalation beyond Ukraine."
According to Süssli, the attack on Ukraine by Russia marked a turning point. "We are in a new era. Some of the rules between countries no longer apply. Power politics is returning, as is the law of the jungle. And this also makes conflicts more likely again."
In the interview, Süssli once again commented on the army's liquidity bottlenecks. "The situation is like it has never been for the army before." The Swiss Armed Forces have to decommission weapon systems before a replacement can be procured. This creates a "capability gap" of several years. "To put it simply: yes, we are temporarily losing the army."
The fact that the security situation in Europe is deteriorating to such an extent and that the federal government's financial situation is so strained at the same time is "probably unprecedented in modern history", said Süssli.
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