Switzerland allows the sale of Leopard 1 tanks to Germany on condition that they are not transferred to Ukraine

The Swiss federal government has permitted RUAG to sell 71 Leopard 1 tanks to Germany on condition that they are not transferred to Ukraine.

Swissinfo reported on this.

The tanks that the defense company wants to sell to Germany are currently in Italy.

RUAG owns a total of 96 combat vehicles of this type. They were purchased from the Italian Ministry of Defense in 2016.

The story of these tanks began back in 2023. At that time, the Swiss government banned their sale to Germany due to fears that they would be transferred to Ukraine as part of military aid.

This is because Swiss law prohibits the supply of military equipment and materials to countries involved in armed conflicts.

At the time, this decision sparked debate among European partners, who called on Bern to be more flexible.

RUAG then applied to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) for a license to sell the tanks.

On May 28, the Swiss government officially stated that such a license was not required in this case.

Under federal law, Germany is one of the countries to which military equipment can be sold without additional permission.

However, the government stressed that the Leopard 1 tanks cannot be re-exported to Ukraine.

This restriction remains in force in accordance with the principle of neutrality that Switzerland adheres to in its foreign policy.

In March 2025, representatives of the Swiss arms industry told Reuters that they had lost ground amid European rearmament due to export restrictions and a ban on the resale of Swiss weapons to Ukraine.

For example, Germany, the largest buyer of Swiss weapons, excluded Swiss companies from some procurement agreements, while Denmark and the Netherlands suspended orders.