- The federal arms company Ruag wants to sell 96 Leopard 1 tanks. First they must go to Germany, and then to Ukraine.
- Despite opposition from federal authorities, RUAG has now submitted an official export application.
Seven years ago, RUAG bought them in Italy for resale or use for spare parts: 96 Leopard 1 main battle tanks. These are still stored in Italy.
legend:
Ruag Unbeaten: He has now submitted an official export application.
Reuters / Arnd Wegmann / Icon image
Now RUAG wants to sell them for later use in Ukraine. Despite negative signals from the federal authorities, RUAG has officially submitted its export application, RUAG spokeswoman Kirsten Hammerich confirms. The tanks must first go to Germany to the arms company Rheinmetall, and then to Ukraine.
Ultimately, the Seco’s State Secretary of Economic Affairs must decide. This isn’t the first time the federal authority has put a deal on the table: At the start of the year, RUAG asked — without obligation — whether a deal could be approved. Seco denied this. The work is not compatible with Federal Council sanctions.
We’d like to get an official decision from Seco so we can better rank the business options.
So Ruag’s prospects are poor. Hammerich explains why she’s trying again: “Because we’d like to get an official decision from Seco so we can better rank the business options.”
Dazed voices from Parliament
The parliamentarians’ reaction was astonished: First vice-president member of the Council of States and security politician Werner Salzmann says Switzerland should in no way allow trade. “In my opinion, this is not possible, otherwise Ukraine would be unilaterally favored. This is not permissible under the law on neutrality.
This is not permitted under the Neutrality Act.
Security politician Franziska Roth also sees major obstacles. The Socialist Party’s national chancellor is basically open to indirect arms aid to Ukraine and says she’s looking forward to an answer. “If we can use it to support our countries around us, that’s fine.”
Upon request, Seco confirms the new official RUAG order, but does not comment further. The federal authority can decide for itself to sell the reservoir – or submit the matter for political assessment to the Federal Council.
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