On Wednesday, the Swiss Government approved the export of 25 battle tanks to Germany.
The Leopard 2 tanks are not intended for Ukraine, as guaranteed by Germany, and this was emphasised in a statement released by the neutral Swiss government in the capital Bern.
However, the military equipment will be used to replenish depleted stocks in Germany or other European Union or NATO countries, which have been drained due to deliveries to Ukraine.
The German Economy Minister, Robert Habeck, and Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, had requested that the tanks be sold back to the German manufacturer Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH, in February.
The Swiss parliament’s upper house, the Council of States, approved the withdrawal of the military equipment from the Swiss army’s stocks, following the lower house, the National Council, at the end of September.
The export required authorisation, which has now been granted.
