Switzerland's famously neutral status will soon be put to its biggest test in decades as the country's defense ministry moves closer to Western military forces in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Swiss Ministry of Defense is compiling a report on security options that include a joint military exercise with NATO countries and a "compensation" of ammunition, Paelvi Puli, head of the ministry's security policy sector, told Reuters.
The details of the political options that the government is considering have not been previously reported, according to the British agency.
"Ultimately, there may be changes in the way neutrality is interpreted," Puli said.
During her visit to Washington, Defense Minister Viola Amherd said that Switzerland will cooperate more closely with the US-led military alliance, but will not join it, Swedish media reported.
Neutrality, thanks to which Switzerland was spared in both world wars in the 20th century, is not a goal in itself, but the intention was to increase Swiss security, Puli said.
Peter Keller from the Swiss People's Party believes that a closer relationship with NATO is incompatible with neutrality. "There is no reason to change a successful foreign policy formula. It brought peace and prosperity to this nation," Keller said.
Other options include regular high-level meetings between Swiss and NATO officers and politicians, she said.
Getting so close to the Alliance represents a departure from the carefully nurtured tradition of non-alignment that, according to its supporters, helped Switzerland to prosper peacefully and maintain a special role as a mediator, including during the Cold War between the West and the Soviet Union.
The idea of full membership in NATO has been considered, but although Sweden and Finland, which also have a history of neutrality, are on the verge of joining NATO, Pulieva said it is unlikely that the report will recommend that Switzerland take such a step.
The report should be completed at the end of September, when it will be considered by the Swiss cabinet.
It will be presented to the parliament for discussion and serve as a basis for possible decisions on the future direction of Swiss security policy. The report will not be offered for referendum.
The Swiss Ministry of Defense, as reported by Reuters, will also participate in the preparation of a wider study prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That project includes considering the adoption of sanctions, the export of ammunition and weapons, and the relationship with NATO from the perspective of neutrality.
Neutrality enshrined in the constitution
Switzerland has not participated in an international war since 1815, when it adopted neutral status at the Congress of Vienna, which ended the French Revolutionary Wars.
The Hague Convention from 1907 established that Switzerland will not participate in international armed conflicts, assist warring parties with troops and weapons, or make its territory available to warring parties.
Neutrality, which is part of the constitution, allows Switzerland the right to self-defense and the possibility of interpreting the political aspects of the concept that are not covered by the legal definition.
It was last updated in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, to enable a foreign policy based on cooperation with other countries in the field of humanitarian aid.
The conflict in Ukraine has revived the debate, which is now, according to Reuters, focused on the government's decision to impose sanctions on Russia, but not to allow the export of Swiss-made weapons to Ukraine.
"There is a lot of uneasiness about the fact that Switzerland cannot contribute more to help Ukraine," Pulieva said.
Catch-up, the process in which Switzerland supplies ammunition to other countries to replace that sent to Ukraine, is another potential measure, Pulieva said. This represents a kind of step forward in relation to the previous government policy, although direct supply would be too much.
President Ignatius Cassis rejected the possibility of supplying weapons to third countries in support of Ukraine, but expressing a broader view on the topic, he also said that neutrality is not a "dogma" and that the absence of a reaction with sanctions "would be in favor of the aggressor."
Growing support for NATO
Switzerland already has certain ties with NATO, and last year it decided to buy "lockheed martin LMT.N F-35A" bombers, which are bought or already used by certain NATO members.
Switzerland "cannot join any alliance because of its neutrality. But we can cooperate and the systems we buy are a good basis for that," said Minister Amherd.
The measures now under consideration would be a significant step closer for the country, which did not join the United Nations until 2002 and which produces most of its own weapons.
Vladimir Holkov, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Bern, told Reuters that such measures would represent a radical change in policy for Switzerland. Moscow "could not ignore" a possible renunciation of neutrality, which would have consequences, Holkov said without providing further details.
The Swiss military supports greater cooperation with NATO as a way to strengthen national defense, while public opinion has changed significantly since the invasion of Ukraine.
More than half of the respondents - 56% - support closer ties with NATO, according to a recent survey, which indicates a significant increase compared to 37% from previous years.
Membership is still supported by a minority, but that figure has also grown significantly. A survey conducted in April showed that 33 percent of the Swiss support joining the alliance.
"It is clear that the Russian invasion of Ukraine influenced many to change their attitude. This is considered an attack on our Western democratic values", said Mihael Herman from the research agency Sotomo.
Terri Burkart, leader of the centre-right Liberal Democratic Party, which is part of the ruling coalition, described "seismic changes" in the way people think about neutrality.
Neutrality "must be flexible," he told Reuters.
"Before Ukraine, some people thought we would never have a conventional war in Europe again," he said, adding that some advocated disbanding the army. "The conflict in Ukraine has shown us that we must not be so confident".
Burkart said that he supports increased spending on the military and closer relations with NATO, but not full membership.
However, Peter Keller, secretary general of the right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP), told Reuters that a closer relationship with NATO is incompatible with neutrality.
The SVP is also part of the ruling coalition and is the largest party in the lower house of the Swiss parliament.
"There is no reason to change the successful foreign policy formula. It brought peace and prosperity to this nation," Keller said.
The Ministry of Defense does not agree with this position. During her visit to Washington, Amherdova said that the legal framework of neutrality "allows us to cooperate more closely with NATO and also with our European partners".
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