Switzerland hosts one of the largest military exercises in 30 years
This was reported by Reuters.
During the military exercises, the Swiss military repelled an attack by a fictional enemy. In total, four thousand soldiers took part in the exercises, which took place in four states for nine days.
The exercise comes at a time when Ukraine’s role in European defense is in the spotlight. LUX 23, scheduled for 2021, was reportedly not conducted in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last February. However, the Swiss military said that Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine made the exercise even more relevant.
- On March 10, the Swiss government announced that it was refusing to transfer Swiss-made weapons to Ukraine and third countries, despite pressure from the EU. The government explained this decision by the “values of neutrality.”
- On March 16, the head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, David Arakhamia, said that Ukrainian diplomats would work with Swiss elites to unblock arms re-exports.
- During a meeting with Swiss Defense Minister Viola Amherd, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged her government to reconsider its position on the ban on re-export of Swiss-made weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.
Source
reuters