Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Neutral Switzerland Refuses to Supply Ukraine with Weapons


Sat 04 Jun 2022 | 01:38 PM
Omnia Ahmed

The Federal Council re-confirmed neutral Switzerland’s policy of not supplying Ukraine or any conflict zones with arms.

“The criteria applicable to exports defined in the Federal Law on War Material (FLMG) and the equal treatment resulting from the law of neutrality do not allow Switzerland to approve a request for the transmission of war material of Swiss origin to Ukraine,” the government said in a statement on Friday.

European countries have called on Switzerland to transfer surplus material from previous or current armed forces stocks but the latter asked them to seek permission to re-export the Swiss arms.

Exports of war material must be refused if the country of destination is involved in an international armed conflict, according to Swiss law.

“Russia and Ukraine are involved in such a conflict,” said the government.

Furthermore, Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) recently rejected Denmark's bid to provide 22 Swiss-made Piranha III infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine.

In like manner, Ukraine sent a letter to Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi at the end of February requesting weapons, including ammunition, anti-tank missiles, and surface-to-air missiles, the Japanese agency “Kyodo” revealed, citing government sources.

On its part, the Japanese government considered sending arms and ammunition to Ukraine a violation of the “Three Principles” on arms supply abroad. Therefore, the request was denied.

However, Tokyo decided to send body armor, helmets, warm clothing, photographic equipment, tents, food, and generators to Kiev.