Fr, Okt 28th 2022
Why Russia wants to put security cameras in Switzerland, where Switzerland’s neutrality stands today, and more in our roundup of news from October 25 – 28.
Germany: Swiss ammo would be used to avert a humanitarian crisis
Switzerland once again is being asked to bend its neutrality policies to send Swiss-made ammunition to Germany, who will then send it on to Ukraine for its Gepard anti-aircraft tanks. For Germany to obtain the ammunition, it must first seek Swiss permission to re-export them under its War Materials Act which states it cannot send ammunition to another country that will use it for war purposes. Switzerland has already vetoed Germany and Denmark this year over the export of ammunition. German defense minister Christine Lambrecht implored Swiss defense minister Viola Amherd in a letter to allow ammunition deliveries so that Ukraine could protect its grain exports that will prevent certain African and Asian nations from falling into famine. Although the exports are protected under a United Nations agreement, Ukraine says Russia may not respect that. The tanks are currently lined up along the coast of the Black Sea and Ukraine is running out of tank ammunition, according to documents. Mehr lesen.
Amid war, Switzerland pushed to redefine neutrality
Switzerland’s neutrality will remain ‘as is’ in the face of war
The Federal Council announced in a report this week that it will not change its policy of political neutrality as it was defined in 1993. The current policy “provides sufficient scope to use neutrality as an instrument of Swiss foreign and security policy in the present international context,” the report read. Since the Ukrainian war broke out, the question of how much Switzerland could align with EU sanctions against Russia and provide aid to Ukraine has been at the center of Swiss politics. The conservative Swiss People’s Party has been pushing for a strict interpretation of Switzerland’s neutrality, meaning no sanctions. The more liberal political parties in Switzerland, who currently make up a majority of the government, are pushing for a more active role in the conflict. Mehr lesen.
Why Putin wants to put security cameras in Switzerland
Russian President Vladmir Putin says that the country should install security cameras around a Russian monument in the canton of Uri to protect it from further vandalism. The monument, which honors Russian soldiers who died in combat against Napoleon’s forces while crossing the Alps in 1799, is carved into rocks lining the Schöllenen Gorge in Andermatt. It has been mostly undisturbed since it was erected 123 years ago and has served as a pilgrimage point for Russians. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, it has been sprayed with blue and yellow paint in support of Ukraine. The monument is owned and maintained by the Russian government, but cameras cannot be legally installed around it without the approval of cantonal officials, they say. It would not be the first time Putin tried to set up monitoring equipment in Switzerland. Lesen Sie mehr.
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