Vie, Mar 3rd 2023
Switzerland may allow the sale of military tanks to Germany to support Ukraine the Swiss government recently acknowledged – albeit the tanks would be “mothballed” Leopard 2 tanks that would never see battle.
Under the proposal, the Swiss military would sell some of its decommissioned tanks back to manufacturer Rheinmetall, who would then sell them to Germany and other NATO members. Those nations would then beef up their military reserves, allowing them to send other tanks and arms in their reserves to Ukraine.
While it has not been specified how many tanks would be available for such a deal, the Swiss military currently has 134 in-service Leopard 2 tanks and 96 in military storage, according to Reuters.
“There would be no onward transfer of the battle tanks to Ukraine,” a spokesperson for the Swiss Defense Ministry (VBS) told Reuters. “Discussions on this issue are currently under way in parliament.”
The Swiss Parliament must first formally declare that the tanks are officially “out of service,” wrote Swiss Defense Minister Viola Amherd in a letter dated March 1. According to local newspaper Tages Anzeiger, the majority of Parliament’s Security Policy Committee argues that the Swiss Army must maintain a strong reserve of armaments. The remaining minority argues that the mothballed tanks contribute to security in Europe.
Switzerland has faced months of criticism for refusing to relax its War Materials Act – a law that prevents Switzerland from sending Swiss-made arms to countries who intend to send them onto warring nations. The War Materials Act is both the cornerstone of Switzerland’s traditional neutrality, and also one of the country’s more controversial laws. (Read more: How Swiss arms came to be at the center of the Russo-Ukrainian war).
Since the summer, Germany’s defense minister Christine Lambrecht has been writing angry letters to her Swiss counterpart Amherd, calling for Switzerland to send 12,000 35mm rounds of Swiss-made ammunition for Germany’s Leopard air defense tanks.
Switzerland is one of the only countries that makes the ammunition needed for the tanks. The tanks have been used to defend Ukraine against Russia’s air missile attacks, especially on its Black Sea coast where Ukraine is trying to export wheat. Lambrecht went so far as to accuse Switzerland of aggravating famines in African countries that need Ukrainian wheat. Denmark has also been requesting Switzerland to allow the exportation of Piranha III wheeled armored vehicles to Ukraine. The Piranha vehicles are Swiss-made. In January, Spain asked Switzerland to allow it to export 35 mm anti-aircraft guns that were also produced in Switzerland.
Bern blocked all requests, citing the War Materials Act.
“Switzerland stands in solidarity with Ukraine,” Swiss President Alain Berset dijo yesterday following a video conference with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was the first meeting since Berset began his term as president earlier this year.
During that conference Berset denounced Russia’s military aggression and reassured Zelenskyy that Switzerland is committed to providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainians. Zelenskyy thanked Switzerland for the CHF 114 million aid package Switzerland recently released. That package is in addition to CHF 1.3 billion Switzerland has already committed, as well as CHF 1 billion to support the 75,000 Ukrainian refugees who have fled to Switzerland.
Zelenskyy tweeted that the two leaders talked about further “joint projects” and “practical issues of implementation of the #PeaceFormula.”
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