In Switzerland, Parliament has decided that 25 decommissioned Leopard 2 tanks can be sold back to Germany. For this approval, Berlin had to guarantee that the tanks would not be delivered to Ukraine.
Leopard 2 tank on the battlefieldPhoto: dpa picture alliance / Alamy / Alamy / Profimedia
The Swiss Army can retire 25 decommissioned Leopard 2 tanks, which can then be sold back to the German manufacturer. The Swiss parliament duly voted to do so on Tuesday Tagesschau.de.
After the National Council, the Cantonal Council also agreed.
The right-wing populist Swiss People’s Party (SVP) voted against the resale. SVP MP Werner Salzmann argued that phasing out tanks would put the Swiss military at a disadvantage compared to other countries.
Not for Ukraine
According to the Swiss government, German Federal Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius previously assured in a letter to Swiss Defense Minister Viola Amherd that the tanks would not go to Ukraine if Switzerland would vote positively. The requested guarantee was that these tanks remain in Germany, in other EU or NATO states.
Minister Amherd said the sell-back was “correct in terms of neutrality law and makes sense in terms of integration policy” for Switzerland, which thus makes a contribution to Europe’s security. It is in its interest if the partner countries can thus strengthen their defense capabilities, she explained.
In February, Germany asked Switzerland to resell its currently non-operational Leopard 2 tanks to German manufacturer Rheinmetall. In May, the Swiss government agreed to decommission 25 of the 96 non-upgraded Leopard 2s in the army’s stockpile. After the Parliament’s affirmative vote, it must now determine the timing of the resale.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine put Switzerland in a position to confront its long-standing neutrality enshrined in the Constitution. This prohibits, among other things, the export of weapons manufactured or owned in Switzerland to parties to the conflict. The country has joined EU sanctions against Moscow, but continues to maintain its military neutrality.
New tanks for Germany
Germany wants to fill gaps in its own stocks, gaps created by the sale of the Leopard 2 to Ukraine. As compensation for tank deliveries to Ukraine, the Bundeswehr will receive 18 new Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks. The budget committee of the Bundestag released approximately 525 million euros in this regard.
The models replace the 18 examples of the Leopard 2A6 tank, which Germany delivered to Ukraine. The Leopard 2 is the main weapon of the German armored force. Not only is the material given to Ukraine replaced, but the main battle tank is also equipped with new defense systems.
