The President of Switzerland, Alain Berset, asserted yesterday that, as a neutral state, Switzerland should not allow the re-export of its weapons to Ukraine. This came in response to a proposal to lift the ban on re-exporting, made by the Swiss parliament’s international commission for amending the country’s laws. This is no small issue in the country, and the biggest party in the country, the Swiss People’s Party, which is part of the four-party government, is against lifting this ban.
“Today, it is not time to change the rules of [weapons] re-export. Neither is it time to change the rules of neutrality,” Berset said in an interview with the RTS television channel. “On the contrary, it is time to recall our basic principles, to stay committed to them and find a right path for the country in this situation.” He added that Switzerland has “a different role from other states.”
