 "Switzerland blocks Polish firm from exporting ammo after Ukraine violation")
Switzerland has long touted its neutrality in world affairs, and Swiss law bans exports of Swiss-owned or Swiss-made military hardware to countries in conflict. However, the Swiss government has backed European Union economic sanctions against Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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The Swiss government banned exports to a Polish military hardware supplier Friday after discovering that approximately 645,000 rounds of Swiss-made small-caliber ammunition were diverted to Ukraine in violation of Swiss law.
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs said that exports to the Polish company are prohibited due to the “high risk” of further diversion to Ukraine.
Switzerland, known for its neutrality prohibited the export of Swiss-made military equipment to conflict zones. However, it has supported European Union sanctions against Russia following its 2022 Russian attack on Ukraine.
The secretariat opened an investigation after a report by U.S.-based news outlet Defense One last November indicated a Ukrainian company had taken receipt of 645,000 rifle cartridges of armor-piercing rounds made by SwissP Defense and delivered by a Polish importer, UMO.
“The investigation showed that the Swiss manufacturer and the Polish company had signed a reseller agreement stating that the Polish company was entitled to resell the ammunition only in Poland,” the secretariat, known as SECO, said in an email to The Associated Press.
The probe concluded that the Polish company “did not honor the contractual commitments it made to the Swiss manufacturer and the ammunition ended up in Ukraine.”
SwissP Defence said in an email “we always comply with the regulations” in Switzerland, and declined to disclose information about its customer relationships.
UMO did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Switzerland has been at pains to maintain its reputation for neutrality in the wake of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine. Last year, Switzerland insisted German-made tanks it had owned but decommissioned could not be sent to Ukraine.
However, Switzerland has been edging closer to NATO: This week, the Swiss executive branch approved Swiss participation in crisis-management exercise by the alliance next spring.
With inputs from agencies.