Switzerland Weighs Sending 200 Peacekeeping Troops to Ukraine if Truce Holds

Switzerland is considering deploying 200 peacekeeping troops to Ukraine if a truce is reached between Kyiv and Moscow, according to the head of the Swiss armed forces, Thomas Suessli. However, he emphasized that such a mission would only be possible under specific conditions and would not involve combat operations.

Suessli clarified the difference between "peace-enforcement" and "peacekeeping" roles, stressing that Switzerland does not participate in military interventions that impose peace by force. Instead, any deployment would require both Ukraine and Russia to agree to a ceasefire and accept the United Nations sending a peacekeeping force to maintain stability.

“If we were ordered to participate in a mission, we would develop a training concept to train up our militia members and prepare them for engagement,” Suessli explained. He estimated that Switzerland could provide around 200 troops within nine to twelve months, but only if conditions allow and the Swiss parliament approves.

He cited Switzerland’s existing role in Kosovo, where Swiss troops serve in a NATO-led peacekeeping force, as an example of their non-combat deployment strategy. He also underscored that any Swiss troops sent to Ukraine would be authorized to use arms only in self-defense.

Despite the possibility of participation, Suessli acknowledged that Switzerland’s role in Ukraine remains purely hypothetical for now. “The question is what the UN needs and what our parliament would decide. There is no peace yet, and there is no request from the UN,” he noted.

While Switzerland remains committed to its policy of neutrality, the discussion highlights the country’s willingness to contribute to international stability if a diplomatic breakthrough is achieved in Ukraine.