A tank for a franc: neutral Switzerland devises an ingenious plan to supply one hundred Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine

Switzerland is a neutral state, which has not intervened in conflicts between other states for several hundred years, nor has it provided military assistance or entered into military alliances.

In the war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine, Switzerland, according to its principles,
did not provide any military support to Ukraine, limiting itself to humanitarian aid.

Perhaps the situation will change drastically in the near future.

Here's What We Know

The Bloomberg piece reports that Switzerland may support Ukraine with an original tank transfer plan.

It is known that there are 96 Leopard 2-A4 tanks mothballed in Alpine bunkers. Maja Riniker, a member of the Swiss parliament, has proposed selling the tanks for a symbolic sum of 1 franc to, for example, the Czech Republic, Poland or Slovakia. And they, in their turn, will transfer their own tanks to Ukraine and keep the Swiss ones for themselves.

The idea is simple and complicated at the same time. But in this way both Switzerland will not violate the principles of neutrality, and Ukraine will receive the much-needed equipment.

At the moment, the Parliament did not support this initiative, but it may be reconsidered in the near future.

Source: Bloomberg