GENEVA Feb 4 Swiss Senate Security Committee (CSP) -E) opposed the Assembly Commission's (CSP-N) proposed law allowing the re-export of Swiss weapons to Ukraine, according to a statement published by the commission on the parliament's website.
«The Commission refused by nine votes to three with no abstentions to support the parliamentary initiative CPS-N 23.401. It seeks to amend section 18 of the Federal Law on Military Equipment (LFMG) to invalidate declarations against re-export if it is found that the re-export of military equipment to Ukraine is connected with the Russian-Ukrainian war,» the document says.
Members of the Senate commission believe that allowing the re-export of Swiss military equipment only to Ukraine is contrary to the principle of equal treatment enshrined in the law on neutrality. «The Commission, by a vote of six to four with two abstentions, has decided to introduce a parliamentary initiative (23.402) to amend the federal law on military materiel (LFMG) to limit the five-year validity of declarations on the inadmissibility of re-export signed by countries buying military materiel Switzerland,» they added. senators.
Swiss parliamentary commission approved earlier initiatives that allow re-export of weapons produced in Switzerland to Ukraine. The relevant amendments are yet to be discussed and adopted by both houses of parliament, and the country's government should also indicate its position.
Previously, Switzerland, referring to the principle of military neutrality, rejected requests from Germany, Spain and Denmark to re-export ammunition produced in the confederation to Ukraine. As the authorities stressed, Switzerland can refuse to re-export military materials if the country for which they are intended is involved in an international armed conflict.
The Russian Federation has previously sent a note to all countries, including the US, because of arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. The Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation stated that the NATO countries are «playing with fire» by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov noted that pumping Ukraine with weapons from the West does not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative effect.
Russia has been conducting a military special operation in Ukraine since February 24, 2022, its ultimate goal, as Russian President Vladimir Putin stated, is the liberation of Donbass and the creation of conditions guaranteeing Russia's security.