Switzerland approves sale of 25 decommissioned Leopard 2A4s to Germany but forbids their transfer to Ukraine.

As reported by Swissinfo echoed by European Pravda on September 26, the Swiss parliament has granted authorization to the military to sell 25 decommissioned Leopard 2A4 tanks, known as Pz 87 in the Swiss designation system, with the stipulation that these tanks be sold back to the German manufacturer and not transferred to Ukraine.
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Swiss Leopard 2A4 (Picture source: Swiss MoD)

Earlier this year, the German government had approached Switzerland with a request to repurchase a portion of these decommissioned Leopard 2A4 tanks The Federal Council has noted that Berlin offered assurances that if Switzerland were to approve this transaction, the tanks would not be sent to Ukraine. Instead, they would remain within Germany or be sold to other EU or NATO member countries to bolster their military arsenals.

It's worth mentioning that in June, the Swiss government rejected a request from the Swiss defense company RUAG to re-export 96 Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine, which were intended for delivery to Ukraine after undergoing refurbishment in Germany.

Switzerland has faced criticism for its policy of preventing the transfer of weapons manufactured in the country to Ukraine due to its commitment to neutrality. This has notably impacted its relationship with Germany, which initially faced challenges in supplying Ukraine with ammunition for Gepard self-propelled guns but eventually established local production capabilities within the country.