Swiss soldiers could join a future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine if requested and approved by the government, Swiss Army Chief Thomas Süssli said in an interview published today, quoted by Reuters.
"We will probably be able to send around two hundred soldiers over a period of nine to 12 months," Süssli told the Swiss newspaper "SontagsBlick". He emphasizes that such a decision is within the competence of the government and parliament, if a corresponding request is made to Switzerland.
The talks about sending peacekeepers to Ukraine are purely hypothetical for now, because it remains unclear how the situation with Russia and Ukraine will develop, explains Lieutenant General Süssli.
"There is still no peace and therefore no inquiry from the UN", he says.
Neutral Switzerland participates in several peacekeeping missions around the world, the largest of which is the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo (KFOR).
European countries are discussing the possibility of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine in the context of diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.