Switzerland and Austria, both traditionally neutral, join a German-led air defense initiative

GENEVA — Switzerland and Austria, two countries with a strong tradition of foreign policy neutrality, announced on Friday their intention to join a German-led initiative aimed at strengthening Europe’s air defenses to fight the to face the threats highlighted by Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

Swiss and Austrian defense ministers Viola Amherd and Klaudia Tanner, during a meeting with their German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, signed a memorandum of understanding to participate in the project, known as Sky Shield, which has so far seen 17 other European countries involved. Friday in the Swiss capital Bern.

Sky Shield aims to coordinate the procurement of air defense systems and promote cooperation in training, research and logistics, and has received support from Britain, the Baltic States, Sweden and Finland. The Swiss and German ministers also said on Friday that they want to cooperate in the field of strategic air transport.

Switzerland and Austria denied that their participation would in any way jeopardize their traditional stance of neutrality. A Swiss government statement said: “It is in Switzerland’s interest to more consistently align its security and defense policy with international cooperation and to increase its contributions.”

But Switzerland’s participation is another step toward closer cooperation with Europe’s neighbors since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a process that has sparked heated debate with critics who fear the country is straying from its tradition of strict neutrality.

Switzerland has joined the European sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion and has shown signs of easing its stance on allowing the sale of defense equipment to countries providing military support to Ukraine.

Switzerland last year rejected requests from Germany and Denmark to re-export Swiss-made armored vehicles and ammunition, but the House of Commons voted last month to sell decommissioned Leopard tanks to Germany. Under the proposed terms of sale, which have yet to be approved, the tanks could not be shipped to Ukraine, but could be used to replace tanks that Germany sends from its own depots.

Germany promotes Sky Shield as a fast and cost-effective approach to plug gaps in European air defenses by purchasing available off-the-shelf systems from the United States or other suppliers, and has led by example through the Israeli-American “Arrow 3 “to order” defense system.

Berlin’s approach is met with resistance in particular from France and Italy, which are eager to promote their own defense industries and develop systems that could help Europe break free of dependence on the United States. Those arguments don’t immediately weigh on Switzerland, which chose to upgrade its air force by buying Lockheed-Martin F-35s instead of competing European fighters, and is also buying the United States’ Patriot missile system.