Swiss president expresses skepticism about German tank request

GENEVA

Swiss President Alain Berset has defended his country's traditional "very cautious and moderate" position and expressed skepticism about the demand from Germany regarding a buyback of decommissioned Leopard tanks.

"Given our legal framework in Switzerland, arms exports are not possible," Berset told reporters in New York on Tuesday evening. "For the government and the Federal Council, we must and we want to maintain this legal framework," he added.

While changes to the framework are currently being discussed by parliament, it is "not the time for changes and we cannot make exceptions," the Swiss president stressed on the sidelines of a meeting of the UN Women's Rights Council.

The German government asked Switzerland in late February for permission to buy back decommissioned Leopard tanks from German arms company Rheinmetall. Since Switzerland's principle of neutrality prohibits it from supplying weapons to countries at war, Berlin gave assurances that it would not send the tanks to Ukraine.

The tanks are to fill the gaps left by deliveries to Ukraine in Germany or among NATO and EU partners. The Swiss army has 134 Leopard 2 tanks in service as well as 96 Leopard 2 tanks in storage. The tanks are regularly tested but have not been modernized.

Under Swiss law, only decommissioned material can be sold. Whether a material is decommissioned is decided by parliament.

The neutrality debate in Switzerland has become more topical since the military escalation in Ukraine. While the Alpine country – which is not a member of the EU – supports the sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia, it has so far been intransigent with regard to its military neutrality.

However, various initiatives to relax the regulations are being discussed in parliament, but a decision is not expected for several months.