Switzerland's pathetic "neutrality" only helps Russia. It is easy to be "neutral" when you're surrounded by allies and at no threat at all, they hide behind stronger countries with more courage to protect them while Switzerland only cares purely about their own self-interests. It isn't neutrality, it's them playing both sides so they always win. They want to keep both EU and Russia happy.

Often, neutrality is used as an excuse to hide the real reasons, one of those could be cowardice and the other could be greed, a fear of losing money and relationships that you have with the aggressor, both of these things help the aggressor to continue their campaign of violence, if the entire world was this pathetically "neutral" then countries like Russia would take whatever country they wanted to.

Switzerland should consider how they would like it if they were ever attacked and all their "allies" turned around and said that they couldn't help Switzerland because we're now neutral. Looking the other way and ignoring it just helps evil. We wouldn't think twice about aiding Switzerland, it would be the right thing to do.

Almost wish that countries would just ignore Switzerland and send shit to Ukraine anyway...What are they going to do? Sue us? Bitch and moan? Stop supplying us and destroy their military industry? I don't know why any sane country after this would continue buying from Switzerland, imagine if a NATO country were to be attacked and we couldn't send them aid because Switzerland won't allow it, I doubt we'd listen to them then.

Just have to imagine if Ukraine was in NATO and still attacked. I imagine either two scenarios, we send Ukraine Switzerland made tanks that we purchased from them and ignore their whining or we roll into Ukraine with those tanks ourselves to attack Russia with and at that point what difference does it make? The end result is the same, Switzerland made tanks being used to kill Russians.

Switzerland is a country of pure greed.

Ryuu, whilst I agree it is frustrating from the standpoint of aiding Ukraine's self-defence, I have to disagree with you on Switzerland being 'pathetic' and motivated by 'pure greed'.

Switzerland's neutrality has persisted since the end of the Napoleonic Wars - the last conflict they were involved in that occurred over 200 years ago. That is pretty notably given all the wars that have occurred around them since then which could very easily have drawn them in. This is not just both World Wars, but the German Unification Wars, the Franco-Prussian Wars, the Italian Unification Wars. Was was Neutral during the Cold War. Its also worth noting that in WW2 Switzerland was surrounded on all sides by the Axis powers, who even had a planned but ultimately never enacted invasion plan (Operation Tabnnenbaum). 

The neutrality is obviously a lot easier to aide in times of peace, and having such a vehemently neutral state is useful in such times - it where vehemently hostile states like the US and Iran are comfortable meeting to discuss things like the nuclear deal. That sort of thing is more difficult if Switzerland abandons its neutral stance.

I do agree that Switzerland has its place, but I understand the controversy. But they aren’t shifting positions for political advantage or out of cowardice, (as pointed out by Second War) this has been their stance for centuries.

But here are corrupt and cowardly forces at work in every western country, and these are worthy of attention: the AfD for example. Any political movement or leaders pushing the “your problems exist because the government is supporting Ukraine” narrative are cowardly demagogues, cancerous tumours afflicting democracy. They are preying on the misery, desperation, and (often) ignorance of people who are either new to problems from the fallout of the pandemic and economic crises stemming from the ongoing collapse of neoliberalism, or ongoing for years before this war (perhaps even generational suffering) - despite the fact that supporting Ukraine has little to nothing to do with their plight.

To alleviate suffering, these corrupt politicians prescribe doom and suffering others. The best result anyone buying the snake oil can hope for is a placebo effect, with side effects of embracing ignorance to avoid guilt because of complicity in ruining lives and making the world a worse place.

I agree with Ryuu talking about Switzerland. I also don't care that they are neutral since centuries. That shows even more what their neutrality is about.

You just can't be neutral in many cases in my opinion. That's an asshole move and not something which should be praised.

When something bad happens then something bad happens and in my opinion it's always better to side with who you believe is right instead of claiming neutrality.

You can do that for some stuff but there's clearly also stuff happening on this planet where neutrality just means looking away when you shouldn't.

I'm not saying it's a recent development, I know it has been Switzerland's stance for a long time, it doesn't make it any less cowardly, Imo. I believe that Switzerland wants to have its cake and eat it. They want to please both sides no matter what happens because they want both sides to invest into Switzerland, I believe their neutrality is less about morality and more about self-interest.

I find it a bit of a joke that a country can also claim to be neutral and all peace loving whilst at the same time selling weapons of death and destruction to countries all across the world, I don't believe Switzerland is that naïve to believe that their arms won't eventually end up into a conflict zone or that if this was a NATO country being attacked, NATO wouldn't be rushing in and killing Russians with Swiss arms.

Weapons are for defence, until they aren't. Does Switzerland honestly believe we're buying these weapons from them under the assumption that we will never have to use them? What difference does it make whether we send them to Ukraine to kill Russians or whether NATO was attacked and we use them to kill Russians, the end result is the same, dead Russians by Swiss arms.

If Switzerland was truly a neutral country concerned about peace then they should stop all arms manufacturing in their country completely (aside from their own army), they shouldn't sell arms to anyone or allow manufacturing for other countries in their own country, no matter who it is, but they of course wouldn't do that because of money. Switzerland can pretend it has a moral high-ground with its neutrality stance but all it's doing is looking the other way as someone commits genocide and playing both sides so that ultimately Switzerland wins no matter what.

Switzerland may not win this time though as countries realise that we can't rely on Switzerland as a military partner anymore. I also don't really see the difference in Rheinmetall buying Swiss tanks, other countries buying those tanks off Rheinmetall which enables them to then send more of their existing stock to Ukraine, is that not Switzerland indirectly helping to send military aid to Ukraine? I see it as them "helping" to enable the possibility of a country sending further weaponry aid to Ukraine.

Switzerland could help save Ukrainian lives against an aggressor who is undeniably in the wrong, they choose not to, it's as simple as that.

Also just because something has been the case for hundreds of years, doesn't make it right.

I'd just add as well that I would understand reluctance from countries bordering Russia or with few allies surrounding them, but Switzerland is literally surrounded by some of the most powerful countries on Earth, they have nothing to fear so they can't use that excuse either. They don't even have to directly send the arms! I'd accept them simply just allowing the re-export of weapons even if they don't send them directly themselves.

In regards to escalation, I’m wondering if similar conflicts elsewhere could ultimately end up fuelling this.
Last week there was a flare-up in Nagorno-Karabakh, which ultimate ended in 24 hours (though the aftermath seems far from pretty) and now Serbia seems to be massing troops on its border with Kosovo.
Serbia counts Russia as a key ally and Nato has troops stationed in Kosovo so it would end up with the same powers at play even if the conflicts aren’t directly related.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have always disliked each other but Russia's influence kept them relatively in line, now that's weakening so it's time for US/EU to step up and try to broker peace between them. Some top ranking Russian officials were killed even by Azerbaijan and they basically said "sorry bro" and Russia was okay with that, the Russians were outraged though, but it just shows how weak Russia's global influence is becoming. If Serbia thinks it can count on Russia as a key ally if it tries anything with Kosovo whilst being completely surrounded by NATO countries then they're in for a rude awakening.

Even Kazakhstan who share a massive border with Russia are basically saying fuck you.

Musk asking why American polititians care more about Ukraine's then USAs boarder. He knows that this are two completely different situations, right?

Also asking if Germans know that German boats rescue Africans in the mediterranian sea and bring them to Europe. Like, yes we obviously know that Mr. Idiot.

Considering his and his families own history of migration and what his family did, I find this very amusing.

Meanwhile, a steady flow of trucks with sactioned goods is passing through the Kazak/Russia border........

He also agreed with Rand Paul the Russian shill in not putting anymore funding for Ukraine in the budget.