Latest news with #ThomasSuessli
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Swiss armed forces chief and top spy to step down
ZURICH (Reuters) - The head of Switzerland's armed forces and the chief of the neutral country's intelligence services have both resigned their jobs, Swiss media reported on Tuesday. Thomas Suessli handed in his resignation as head of the armed forces at the end of January, public broadcaster SRF and newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung reported, citing sources, although he would remain in office until the end of 2025. Christian Dussey, who heads the Federal Intelligence Service, has also resigned but will remain in office until the end of March 2026, the publications reported. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Priska Seiler-Graf, the president of the security committee of the lower Swiss house of parliament, confirmed the departures to Swiss news agency SDA. The defence department declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. The departures come at a sensitive time for the Swiss defence establishment, which has come under fire for delays to key projects as it aims to build its defence capacities following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this year Suessli said he was concerned about the delays of various projects, including military drones from Israel. The defence department is also waiting for a new civilian head, after Minister Viola Amherd resigned in January, with her successor in the Swiss cabinet still to be decided. In another blow for the defence establishment, the Swiss Federal Audit Office on Monday revealed suspected cases of fraud at state-owned Swiss armaments group Ruag MRO and estimated financial damages "in the high double-digit million range."
Reuters
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Swiss armed forces chief and top spy to step down
ZURICH, Feb 25 (Reuters) - The head of Switzerland's armed forces and the chief of the neutral country's intelligence services have both resigned their jobs, Swiss media reported on Tuesday. Thomas Suessli handed in his resignation as head of the armed forces at the end of January, public broadcaster SRF and newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung reported, citing sources, although he would remain in office until the end of 2025. Christian Dussey, who heads the Federal Intelligence Service, has also resigned but will remain in office until the end of March 2026, the publications reported. Priska Seiler-Graf, the president of the security committee of the lower Swiss house of parliament, confirmed the departures to Swiss news agency SDA. The defence department declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. The departures come at a sensitive time for the Swiss defence establishment, which has come under fire for delays to key projects as it aims to build its defence capacities following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Earlier this year Suessli said he was concerned about the delays of various projects, including military drones from Israel. The defence department is also waiting for a new civilian head, after Minister Viola Amherd resigned in January, with her successor in the Swiss cabinet still to be decided. In another blow for the defence establishment, the Swiss Federal Audit Office on Monday revealed suspected cases of fraud at state-owned Swiss armaments group Ruag MRO and estimated financial damages "in the high double-digit million range."
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Switzerland would consider sending 200 troops for potential peacekeeping role if requested, Swiss army chief says
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. Read also: Starmer urges Trump to put Ukraine at center of peace negotiations We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
LBCI
23-02-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Swiss could contribute to peacekeeping in Ukraine, army chief says
Switzerland could contribute troops to a future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine if requested and the government agreed, Swiss armed forces chief Thomas Suessli said in an interview published on Sunday. "We could probably field around 200 soldiers in nine to 12 months," Suessli told newspaper the SonntagsBlick, stressing that it would be a matter for the government and parliament to decide if any appeal were made to Switzerland. Talk of sending peacekeepers was purely hypothetical for now because it remained unclear how the situation between Russia and Ukraine would develop, Suessli added. "There's no peace yet, and there's been no request from the United Nations," he said. Neutral Switzerland participates in several peacekeeping missions worldwide, with the largest in Kosovo, where it has soldiers deployed in support of NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR). Reuters
Al-Ahram Weekly
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Swiss could send 200 troops for Ukraine truce: Army - War in Ukraine
Switzerland could send 200 peacekeeping soldiers to Ukraine in the event of a truce, the head of the country's armed forces told the Blick newspaper in an interview published Sunday. Thomas Suessli told Blick it was important, however, "to distinguish between peace-enforcement commitments and peacekeeping commitments. "Peace-enforcement means peace must be imposed by force of arms. Switzerland does not participate" in that case, he stressed. "Peacekeeping presupposes Russia and Ukraine agree to cease hostilities and accept the UN sending a peacekeeping force to guarantee peace," Suessli said. "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. Then we would begin recruiting and training the military," said Suessli. He added Switzerland "could probably provide around 200 soldiers in nine to twelve months." But he explained peacekeeping meant resorting to actual deployment of arms "is only authorised in a situation involving self-defence," citing Kosovo, where Swiss soldiers are serving in a NATO-led force, as an example. Suessli noted that "the question is what the UN needs" and what parliament would decide and "these are hypothetical questions. There is no peace yet, and there is no request from the UN." Short link:
