Questions about neutrality raised

There’s a growing debate if Switzerland should redefine what it means to be neutral – or even abandon it altogether in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Several articles in the papers yesterday quote experts suggesting the country should move closer to NATO. Mauro Mantovani at the ETHZ Military Academy in Zurich says cooperation could be an advantage. 

Jean-Marc Rickli from the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, says it would be a ‘Copernican’ revolution for neutrality and it would mean a change in the constitution. 

But Rickli goes on to explain that’s it’s been accepted if Switzerland is directly attacked, then neutrality ends and this country can then cooperate with allies. In such a case it would make sense the Swiss military was already linked with NATO so procedures and equipment are interoperable. 

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