Austria, Switzerland sign declaration of intent to join European Sky Shield

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - Switzerland and Austria on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding with Germany on joining the European Sky Shield air defense initiative.

With the signing ceremony in the northwestern Swiss city of Bern, Austria, and Switzerland declared their intention to become part of the scheme, set up by Germany in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war last year to reduce air defense costs via joint procurements.

Attending the event, the defense ministers of the two newcomer countries noted that joining would not compromise their neutrality, setting out their reservations on the matter in a separate declaration.

This excludes, for example, participation in international conflicts, as the Bern Foreign Office announced in the run-up to the signing. Each country could define the extent of its participation in the air shield itself, it said.

Participation is compatible with Austrian neutrality, Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner told public broadcaster ORF after the signing, adding that Vienna's "special constitutional circumstances" would be taken into account in the separate declaration.

She also underlined that participation in the European Sky Shield does not absolve Austria from actively protecting its airspace itself.

Meanwhile, the leader of the conservative FPO party, Herbert Kickl, called for a referendum on the move. In a press release, he criticized Austria's federal government for working "step by step to undermine and abolish" neutrality since the start of the war in Ukraine.

After signing the memorandum of understanding, Swiss Defense Minister Viola Amherd said her country enjoyed "cooperation with Germany and Austria, unlike any other country."

"International cooperation among like-minded countries is more important than ever," Amherd stressed. While Switzerland has joined European Sky Shield, she added, Switzerland "will decide for itself to what extent we want to participate here."

The declaration of intent has also caused controversy in Switzerland, where the Greens have also questioned its effects on the country's neutrality.

"This system is only useful when there is war. That's why there will be a problem," Green politician Fabien Fivaz told public broadcaster SRF.

The conservative SVP has also strongly opposed the plan. "The way it is now envisaged, namely as a joint European air defense system, it certainly does not work from a neutrality law perspective," SVP security politician Mauro Tuena told the broadcaster.

Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also attended the signing ceremony.

The European Sky Shield initiative started with Germany in August 2022 and currently includes 17 countries. Its purpose is to better coordinate and, if necessary, pool ground-based air defense procurement projects.

The countries currently involved are the UK, Slovakia, Latvia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania, Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Estonia, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.