This is a breakthrough as for nearly a year, European countries have been trying to convince militarily neutral Switzerland to sell some of the surplus tanks it has been storing.
Switzerland owns more than 100 Leopard 2 tanks, many of which are currently unused and in storage, prompting calls from Germany to facilitate a buyback deal. Photo: Peter Schneider
The government in Bern initially objected, saying it was wary of returning any tanks if there was a possibility they would later be used against Russian forces in Ukraine.
This would violate the military neutrality enshrined in the country's constitution and strict laws on arms exports.
“The transfer of tanks abroad meets the approval criteria and the material law of war,” Switzerland’s Bundesrat said in announcing the decision. “Particularly significant is the German guarantee that the tanks sold will remain in Germany or with NATO or EU partners, to fill their own gaps.”
Despite its neutral constitution, wealthy Switzerland has a policy of maintaining a modern and well-equipped military. It has 136 tanks currently in service and another 96 decommissioned tanks in storage, 25 of which are currently slated for return.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius made a joint call during a visit in February this year for Switzerland to reconsider its stance and take some decisions.
They sought to convince Switzerland that supplying countries not involved in the war in Ukraine would not violate its arms export rules.
The Swiss parliament granted provisional approval in September. The Swiss Army, which owns the tank, then applied for export, which was formally approved on Wednesday.
Mai Anh (according to DW)
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