Germany asks Switzerland to hand over its old Leopard tanks

EU member countries are embarking on an arms race to help Ukraine and for their own needs. Germany, which has promised to send Leopard 2 tanks to kyiv, is now asking Switzerland for the armed group Rheinmetall to take back its old Leopards.

Berlin even guarantees that they will not be transferred to Ukraine, the Swiss Ministry of Defense (DDPS) indicated. Switzerland prohibits in the name of its neutrality the transfer of military equipment to a country at war.

In a letter dated February 23, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Finance Minister Robert Habeck asked Swiss Defense Minister Viola Amherd to “approve” this request. The Swiss Army has been storing 96 Leopard 2 tanks for years. They are regularly tested, but have not been modernized. The Swiss Army also has 134 Leopard 2s in service.

decommissioned leopards

The maintenance of these tanks “in Germany or with NATO and EU partners would be guaranteed” to fill the gaps created by the delivery of the Leopoard 2 tanks ceded by these countries to Ukraine and to improve the supply of spare parts, he explained. On March 1, Viola Amherd replied to her German counterpart that a possible transfer of part of these old tanks required their “dismantling” by Parliament.

The army, regardless of any decision by Parliament, has carried out preliminary clarifications that have allowed it to conclude that, in principle, it would be possible to give up a “limited” number of battle tanks if they are withdrawn from service, except the Swiss themselves. needs. The Swiss government is also expected to take a position on this on Monday in response to questions in parliament.

The neutrality debate has stirred Switzerland since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. If the Alpine country – which is not part of the European Union – has adopted all the sanctions imposed on Russia by Brussels, instead it has been adamant in its military neutrality. Although kyiv and its allies have pushed for it to authorize the re-export of Swiss arms and ammunition to Ukraine, the government has so far ignored the demands of Germany, Spain and Denmark. Several initiatives are underway in Parliament to relax these rules, but no decision is expected for several months.