Switzerland could contribute around 200 troops to a prospective peacekeeping mission in Ukraine if such a request were received and if the government agreed, Swiss armed forces chief Thomas Suessli said on Feb. 23.
"We could probably field around 200 soldiers in nine to 12 months," Suessli stated in an interview with Blick newspaper.
He made the distinction between peacekeeping and peace-enforcement operations and said that Switzerland would not participate in any peace-enforcement operations as they involve some degree of force.
"Peace-enforcement means peace must be imposed by force of arms. Switzerland does not participate,” he said.
"Peacekeeping presupposes Russia and Ukraine agree to cease hostilities and accept the UN sending a peacekeeping force to guarantee peace," Suessli added.
However, he also noted that at this point there are no concrete requests from the UN, and that these questions are currently hypothetical.
While refusing to supply Kyiv with military aid on account of its long-term neutrality policy, Switzerland has provided economic and humanitarian support worth over $3 billion.
Switzerland also hosted the 2024 global peace summit, which had representatives from around 100 countries, as well as the 2022 Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano, which laid down principles for Ukraine's reconstruction and recovery.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
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