Pistorius asked Swiss President Amherd to supply Patriot to Ukraine - media
Germany has taken the initiative to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence. For example, the head of the country’s Defence Ministry, Boris Pistorius, recently asked Swiss Prime Minister Viola Amherd to supply Kyiv with a Patriot air defence system.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to NZZ.
It is noted that the negotiations apparently did not lead to any results. As a neutral state, Switzerland does not provide military assistance to the warring parties, even to Ukraine, the publication writes.
Berlin tried several times to convince Bern to allow the transfer of ammunition for the Gepard tank to Ukraine. However, the Swiss federal government did not allow the re-export of this Swiss-made ammunition, for which Switzerland was sharply criticised.
The newspaper notes that it would be quite possible to organise a circular trade with Western countries, similar to the trade in Leopard tanks.
Last year, Switzerland agreed to sell 25 Leopard 2 battle tanks to a German manufacturer on the condition that they would not be sent to Ukraine. The tanks are intended to fill the gaps left by NATO and EU countries after they transferred tanks to Kyiv.
As NZZ adds, Switzerland has almost nothing to offer in the field of air defence, even for a ring-fenced exchange. The ordered US Patriot systems will be delivered no earlier than 2026. However, Ukraine needs these weapons now.
