A newly formed commission in Switzerland issued a report on Thursday, pressuring the country, which has hosted a peace summit for the war in Ukraine, to instead acquiesce to the "common defense capability" of the European Union and NATO, neither of which Switzerland is a part of, and move to a position of tentative support for the war.
The report consists of a wide, albeit disparate, survey of events, with the added suggestion that a path away from neutrality is needed to comport with a "rules-based order."
According to a translation, the report reads: "Only if the West succeeds in restoring territorial integrity of Ukraine that a rules-based order will be maintained, in which international law will be applied and offenders will be punished. Otherwise, this order will remain weak and Europe will be threatened, notably by Russia."
The report also mentions misinformation as a concern and that "populist parties on both sides of the political spectrum" are trying to "bring their states closer to autocratic regimes."
As Western international institutions continue to exert pressure on Switzerland to support Ukraine following Russia's standoff with the country along its border in February 2022 and then its subsequent invasion as a bulwark against NATO, Politico reported on Sunday that the report had already stirred controversy before its release.
"The report," Politico wrote, "was controversial before it was even released, as opposition parties accused [Swiss Defense and Security Minister Viola Amherd] of appointing mainly NATO and EU enthusiasts" as "experts" on the "committee."
Jean-Marc Rickli, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy's head of global and emerging risks, said, "The report makes it clear that Switzerland is a Western country and therefore supports Western values." However, he added, "calls for increased military cooperation with NATO and the EU will very likely stir lots of debate within Switzerland."
Politico went on to note that the report could be met with "explosive" opposition from within the Swiss Parliament, both from the pacifist left-leaning parties as well from the parts of the country's conservative populist faction. Notably, Amherd is already facing strong criticism for her country's deepening ties with NATO.
Despite this, in the past few months, the Swiss federal council, which runs the country, signaled a willingness to cozy up to both NATO and the EU on security and defense.
While the report stops short of suggesting Switzerland scrap its position of neutrality entirely, it does not dismiss NATO from sticking its camel nose in the tent — urging for deeper ties to the Cold War era military alliance and the EU on "joint training and exercises, joint defense against guided ballistic missiles, adjustment of the legal framework conditions and possible clarifications."
On Wednesday, a Swiss delegation traveled to Luxembourg to meet with NATO's Support and Procurement Agency, over aims for a possible collaboration with the agency.
The report also called for Switzerland to increase its military expenditure to 1% of its GDP by 2030. Currently, the country spends 0.76% of GDP on defense.
Switzerland's arms exports experienced a 27% decline last year, falling to less than 700 million Swiss francs ($823 million) compared to 2022.
This decrease was attributed to strict arms export regulations and the conclusion of Qatar's air defense systems purchases, which were linked to its hosting of the 2022 World Cup.
Switzerland's policy of prohibiting weapon sales to countries engaged in conflict has also impacted its relationships with other nations seeking to send arms to Ukraine that might include Swiss components.
"The re-export ban must be lifted," the report urged.
Switzerland has blocked the delivery of weapons and ammunition from several European countries to Ukraine. It took months of discussions before Switzerland agreed to send a surplus of Leopard tanks to Germany to replace those shipped to Ukraine. Moreover, Switzerland's decision to block the transfer of Swiss-made ammunition from Germany's reserves for use in donated Gepard anti-aircraft systems spurred German arms producer Rheinmetall to expand ammunition production domestically.
"There's a reputational element of Switzerland potentially seen as a free rider who doesn't cooperate with European states," Rickli said. "If it wants to benefit from the help of its European partners, it has to give something back."