Switzerland should not “buy away” weapons to Ukraine

The military location of Ukraine is uncomfortable to say the least. And on Monday, President Donald Trump's US government announced that the country attacked by Russia will not initially deliver weapons. Switzerland, in turn, refuses to only allow third countries to pass on war material to Ukraine.

The Federal Council relies on the right to neutrality and a few years ago. Parliament has been trying to loosen it in favor of Ukraine for two years. But now the former Greens President Balthasar Glättli is waiting for a new proposal.

Switzerland should « not buy the weapons away from Ukraine, which it urgently needs, » says a design of a motion that the Zurich National Council wants to submit this week. Specifically, Glättli wants to commission the Federal Council to exchange delivery dates for armaments with other countries with the aim of « priorizing the delivery to Ukraine ».

Demand increased considerably

The concrete background is the fact that « the demand for armaments estates worldwide has increased significantly », as the Federal Council wrote last year when asked by Balthasar Glättli. This leads to sometimes massive price increases. And one end is not in sight: in view of the impending retreat of the United States, Europe wants to upgrade in a large scale.

Ukraine threatens to get under the bikes. Glättli, who has been a member of the Security Policy Commission (SIK) since January, therefore suggests that Switzerland pushes procurements, in favor of countries that « provide armaments to Ukraine ». In the motion, he refers to a « precedent » from last October.

« Compatible with neutrality »

At that time, the VBS defense department approved an application from Germany to replace the delivery dates of a part of the RGW90 armored defense steering steering stream. The last tranche should not be delivered until 2026, a year later than agreed. « The exchange is compatible with neutrality, » emphasized the VBS in a message.

The systems would « never be in Switzerland, which is why they would not fall under the export provisions of the War Material Act, » said the VBS. In June 2022, Switzerland had already positively answered a corresponding request from Great Britain for delayed procurement of Swedish multi -purpose weapons.

More than symbol policy

The advance amazed, because the Greens had previously appeared as « hardcore pacifists ». The former party president sees no contradiction in this: his motion is « 150 percent compatible with neutrality law, » emphasized Glättli in an interview with Watson. And the hot war takes place « in Ukraine, not in the Swiss army logistics centers ».

Recently, the Greens had shown themselves in an open letter « shocked » about the submissive reaction of Federal President Karin Keller-Sutter (FDP) at the speech by US Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference. But that is not enough, says Glättli: « It has to go beyond the symbolic, especially now that Trump drops Ukraine. »

Switzerland has to wait for Patriots

It is open how the Federal Council will react. Glättli thinks that he could take the view of wanting to decide on each application individually. This affects the demand not least to exchange them with countries that have to fear a direct attack by Russia, such as Poland and the Baltic States. However, Glättli hopes that the Federal Council is willing to develop a general practice from previous individual cases.

In any case, Switzerland is not dealt with priority on the overheated armaments market, as VBS emphasized several times because of the small quantities, or because it is not a member of NATO. Last year the US government decided that she had to Wait longer for the ordered patriot air defense systems. First it is the turn of the Ukraine.

How else under Trump?

It suffers massively from the permanent Russian air strikes, which is why this decision is understandable. It is unclear how it will continue under the Trump government, but Switzerland must not hope for protection. That also shows The controversy around the F-35 fight jet And the question of whether the United States will adhere to the contractual fixed price.

Balthasar Glättli's advance could be an important signal for the battered country, especially in view of the current turbulence, to which the Federal Council at least hold back to the outside.. Perhaps Donald Trump creates a kind of “peace” or ceasefire, but this would even ask themselves questions for Switzerland.

Take in humanitarian help

Army chief Thomas Süssli explained his willingness in the “Sonntagsblick”, To provide around 200 soldiers for a peace force in Ukraine. With the exception of the SVP, the reactions were generally positive. From Parliament there are also demands to adapt humanitarian aid for Ukraine to the level of comparable countries.

National Councilor Fabian Molina (SP) and the city councilors Tiana Moser (GLP) and Marianne Binder (middle) submitted corresponding advances. The increase should therefore take place « via an extraordinary edition », by circumventing the debt brake. The Federal Council does not recommend the advancement unexpectedly to rejection.