Report: Germany pressures Switzerland to re-export tank ammo to Ukraine

Germany has promised Ukraine the delivery of 30 Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft tanks, the first of which arrived in July. Keystone / Morris Macmatzen / Pool

Switzerland is facing pressure from Germany to review its veto over the re-export of Swiss-made tank ammunition that Berlin wants to send to Ukraine to help protect grain exports, it has been reported.

Germany’s defence minister, Christine Lambrecht, has reportedly written to her Swiss counterpart, Viola Amherd, asking her to allow the ammunition deliveries that Berlin and Ukraine consider as essential.

Switzerland must “absolutely” allow ammunition deliveries so the Gepard anti-aircraft tanks that Germany has sent to Ukraine can protect grain exports, Lambrecht told Amherd in a letter sent on October 21, the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper reportedExternal link on Thursday. The paper added that Ukraine’s diplomats had also contacted the Swiss government regarding this issue.

The German minister is asking the Swiss government to review a decision taken in June, which re-confirmed neutral Switzerland’s policy of not supplying arms to conflict zones.

Various European countries including Germany, seeking to replenish their arms stocks after providing weapons to Ukraine, had submitted requests to Switzerland for the transfer of surplus material from previous or current army supplies.

Neutral Switzerland requires countries that buy Swiss arms to seek permission to re-export them. According to Swiss law, exports of war material must be refused if the country of destination is involved in an international armed conflict. 

In April Switzerland vetoed the re-export of 12,400 rounds of Swiss-made ammunition used in 30 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks that Germany sent to Ukraine. In summer it also rejected Denmark’s bid to provide 22 Swiss-made Piranha III infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine.

According to a Ukrainian defence ministry document seen by the Tages-Anzeiger, the Ukrainian army is running out of ammunition for its Gepard tanks and has asked all countries holding such ammunition to send it urgently. It says the anti-aircraft tanks are deployed on the Black Sea coast to protect grain exports, which were agreed under United Nations mediation, and are helping avert famine in Africa or Asia.

Swiss government spokesperson André Simonazzi told the paper that the minister’s letter would be answered “promptly” by the Swiss federal department responsible for arms exports.