Switzerland vetoed the reexport of munitions used by German Gepard antiaircraft tanks. Germany wants to send the armored vehicles to Ukraine, the government announced on Tuesday.
Germany earlier announced its first shipment of heavy weapons to Ukraine to help repel Russian attacks after weeks of internal and external pressure.
The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) confirmed a report by the broadcaster SRF that it had blocked the shipment of cheetah ammunition to Ukraine.
SECO received two requests from Germany to transfer ammunition, which it had previously received from Switzerland, to Ukraine. One of these concerned the 35mm ammunition for the Gepard tank. The other involved 12.7mm ammunition, the agency said when asked.
“Both German inquiries about ammunition received from Switzerland in connection with transfers to Ukraine were answered negatively with reference to Swiss neutrality and the mandatory criteria for rejecting Swiss war material legislation,” said SECO.
SRF said it was unclear what ammunition Germany was sending to Ukraine along with the cheetahs after the Swiss veto.
Switzerland has abandoned previous practice and passed EU sanctions aimed at punishing Russia for invading Ukraine, but said that its neutrality does not allow the delivery of weapons for use in conflict zones.
Last month she rejected Poland’s arms request for neighboring Ukraine.
In principle, Switzerland obliges the recipient countries to declare that they will not reexport war material without a permit.
SOURCE: euronews