Thu, Jan 26th 2023
Switzerland’s War Materials Act restricts the country from allowing other nations to send Swiss-made ammunition to Ukraine.
A parliamentary panel in Switzerland this week adopted a motion which allows for the re-exportation of Swiss-made arms and ammunition to war zones under certain conditions. For months, Switzerland has refused to redefine its neutrality, citing the Fifth Hague Convention of 1907 which states “the principle of equal treatment must be observed when exporting arms.”
The Federal Palace in Bern is where Swiss Parliament will meet to discuss the motion.
The motion would allow the Swiss government to revoke a part of its War Materials Act and allow shipments of arms to other countries who intend to send them onto warring nations, only if the conflict in question has been denounced as violating international law by a two-thirds majority of the United Nations General Assembly.
The vote passed with a 14 to 11 majority in the Security Policy Committee of the lower house of Parliament. Apparently, it was the Social Democrats party which relaxed their stance on the War Materials Act, stating that the decision does not contradict Swiss neutrality.
“The majority of the committee is of the opinion that Switzerland must make its contribution to European security and accordingly provide more support to Ukraine,” parliamentary members said in a statement following the vote. The proposed changes “respect the law of neutrality” because arms would not be sent directly to conflict zones.
The motion now goes to the entire lower house to approve the recommendation. The Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and seven-member governing body of Switzerland must also sign off on the decision.
The decision still hinges on the U.N. Security Council voting with a two-thirds majority that Russia violated international law. The Security Council counts Russia as a veto-wielding permanent member, so it would seem impossible for the council to make such a vote stick. Then again, the group passed a measure in November calling for Russia to be held accountable for violating international law in Ukraine.
Former president of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in autumn 2022.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine 11 months ago, Switzerland has already taken steps away from neutrality by aligning with EU-recommended economic sanctions against Russia.
According to one report, Switzerland has blocked 7.5 billion Swiss francs in financial assets, as well as 15 properties owned by sanctioned Russians and companies by adopting these sanctions. In addition, Swiss sanctions with businesses have severed ties worth CHF 46.1 billion.
Still, Switzerland has faced months of criticism for refusing to relax its War Materials Act, most notably from Germany’s defense minister Christine Lambrecht. Since the summer, Lambrecht has been writing angry letters to her Swiss counterpart Viola Amherd, calling for Switzerland to send 12,000 35mm rounds of Swiss-made ammunition for Germany’s Gepard 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. Just last week, Spain asked Switzerland to allow it to export 35 mm anti-aircraft guns that were also produced in Switzerland.
Meanwhile, the U.S. announced this week that it will send dozens of tanks to Ukraine in what may be the most pivotal point in the Russo-Ukrainian war so far.
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