Switzerland starts an investigation against the RUAG concern, which wanted to sell almost 100 Leopard 1 tanks to Germany.
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These tanks were to become the property of the German company Rheinmetall. It was planned that they would be repaired and sent to Ukraine.
The Swiss government has blocked the sale agreement because it allegedly “violates Switzerland’s status as a neutral country,” writes Bloomberg.
On August 9, it was reported that the Rheinmetall military-industrial concern bought 50 Leopard 1 tanks from OIP Land Systems, most of which are exported to Ukraine. Handelsblatt wrote that Rheinmetall “will now re-equip 30 of these tanks for export to Ukraine.”
Initially, Rheinmetall wanted to buy Leopard 1 tanks from the Swiss arms company Ruag in order to upgrade them for Ukraine. However, Switzerland did not issue an export license due to the neutrality law.
OIP Land Systems bought Leopard 1 in 2014 for around €2 million. It was recently criticized by the Belgian government for charging too high prices for refurbished tanks. At what price she agreed to sell them is unknown.
Cooperation between Ukraine and Rheinmetall has interesting prospects. Rheinmetall intends to open capacities in Ukraine this year, which it plans to protect with its own air defense.
Ruag defense company president Nicolas Perrin told the Neue Zürcher Zeitung last Saturday that Switzerland would have to make the decision to join NATO.
In his opinion, the issue of Swiss neutrality and its interpretations will increasingly arise in the future and will need to be resolved.
Switzerland will not escape the NATO question, he says.
Speaking about his own motives for lobbying for the country’s rapprochement with NATO, Perrin named, first of all, business reasons.
According to him, the Swiss market is too small and export laws are too strict. The company will focus on buyers from NATO countries.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.