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Swiss defence minister open to buying more weapons from the US

Martin Pfister open to buying more weapons from the United States
Martin Pfister open to buying more weapons from the United States Keystone-SDA

Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister is open to placing new arms orders with the United States in an attempt to reduce the 39% tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.

“Military purchases are important for our relations with the US,” stressed Pfister in an interview with Keystone-ATS news agency on Sunday on the fringes of the Federal Youth Shooting Festival in canton Vaud. “First, however, we need to find a way to discuss this with the Americans” in order to make progress on the issue as a whole.

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The defence minister also pointed out that the federal government has chosen not to call into question the current contract for the purchase of F-35 aircraft. “What remains to be resolved is the question of the fixed price,” concluded the head of the Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS).

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

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