Ukrainian intelligence: Russia is preparing for Crimean defense


One year after the Russian attack on Ukraine, a narrow majority of Swiss voted for a rapprochement with NATO for the first time. With 55 percent approval in an annual study, this value is ten percent higher than in the previous year, as the Swiss Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday.

In addition, “the Swiss are now more critical of neutrality and ready to cooperate more” with NATO, the ministry said. The study was published by the Swiss Military Academy and the Center for Security Studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich .

According to this, only a third of those questioned support joining NATO. However, 53 percent are of the opinion that the Swiss principle of neutrality does not speak against cooperation with NATO on military issues. Switzerland is not a member of NATO, but works with it within the framework of partnership councils.

Still supports one overwhelming majority (91 percent) the principle of neutrality Switzerland, but this value has also fallen compared to the previous year. A majority of the Swiss – 57 percent as in the previous year – continue to support a policy of “differentiated neutrality”, according to which Switzerland political position relates, but remains militarily neutral.

Kiev and its allies had criticized this neutrality in recent weeks, because the Swiss government is supporting the sanctions against Russia, but it is still practically impossible to re-export Swiss-made weapons to the Ukraine.



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