The Swiss National Council (one of the two houses of parliament) approved the decommissioning of 25 Leopard 2 tanks.
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This was reported on June 15 by SRF and Basler Zeitung. If the Council of Cantons (the second chamber of parliament) also approves this decision, Switzerland will be able to re-export the tanks to Germany, and the German authorities will be able to transfer them to Ukraine.
According to SRF, 132 deputies supported the decommissioning of tanks in the National Council, 59 opposed. Opponents of such a decision believe that it is a violation of Switzerland’s policy of neutrality. The deputies are also concerned about the decrease in the defense capability of the state.
Swiss Defense Minister Viola Amerd, during a speech at the National Council, stressed that the resale of 25 out of 96 tanks in storage will not affect the state’s defense capability in any way. She promised that if the agreement is approved, the military department will remove another 46 tanks from storage and modernize them, after which they will transfer them to military units.
Since the beginning of a full-scale war in Ukraine, some European countries have turned to Switzerland with a request to allow the transfer of Swiss weapons to Ukraine. The country’s government refused these requests, arguing that such a decision would violate the neutrality of Switzerland.
In June 2023, the Council of Cantons decided that the re-export of Swiss arms by countries “sharing the values of Switzerland” under certain conditions does not contradict the concept of the country’s neutrality, so it should be allowed.
Source: Racurs
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