Switzerland Eases Arms Export Restrictions for 25 Countries, but Not Ukraine

Switzerland has relaxed restrictions on the export and re-export of weapons to 25 countries, while Ukraine was not included in the list.

The decision was approved by both chambers of the Swiss parliament, according to Swissinfo.

Most of the countries affected are in Europe. Under the new rules, export permits for Swiss-made weapons to these states will be granted automatically, even if they are involved in an armed conflict.

However, the Swiss government retains the right to block individual export deals if it deems them contrary to national interests.

Swissinfo notes that the decision was driven by concerns about the future of Switzerland’s defense industry.

Europeans are increasingly placing fewer orders with Swiss arms manufacturers, and European states in general are becoming more cautious about purchasing weapons that are subject to strict export and re-export restrictions.

Of the 25 countries, 19 are European states. The others are Argentina, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States.

Some Swiss parliamentarians had advocated allowing the re-export of weapons to Ukraine as a form of support for a country that has suffered unprovoked aggression by Russia.

Ukraine

In 2022 Germany twice asked Switzerland to allow the re-export to Ukraine of 35-mm ammunition for Gepard anti-aircraft systems. Both requests were denied.

Similar requests from Spain, Denmark, and the Netherlands were also rejected.

At the time, Switzerland officially ruled out the export and re-export of domestically produced weapons to countries involved in armed conflicts.

In Berlin, Bern’s position sparked a sharply negative reaction. Some politicians called for existing defense agreements with Switzerland to be terminated. In 2024, it became known that European countries had begun moving away from weapons produced by Swiss companies.