27 December 2025
‘Switzerland cannot defend itself autonomously’ – Swiss army chief
Outgoing Swiss Army Chief Thomas Susli said on Saturday that Switzerland could not defend itself in the event of an attack.
He made the comments in an interview for the Swiss daily Neue Zurcher Zeitung (NZZ) Referencing potential threats from Russia amid Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Switzerland cannot defend itself autonomously,” he said. He said the alpine country is dependent on cooperation with other armies.
Susli said that Switzerland was prepared for attacks by non-state actors, but was not able to withstand “threats of a remote or even full-scale attack”.
Susli said only about a third of all troops would be “fully equipped” in the event of a true emergency.
The army chief argued that Switzerland’s historical neutrality would not be enough to protect it from a potential threat from Russia.
He said, “There are many neutral countries that were unarmed and involved in the war. Neutrality has value only if it can be defended with arms.”
He said cases of cyberattacks, disinformation and espionage have already been reported in Switzerland, although there have been no documented cases of sabotage.
Susli said Switzerland had previously focused on cyberattacks and other hybrid threats and needed to update its military equipment and infrastructure.
“Prioritizing means constantly considering alternatives. We must address the most serious threats while simultaneously replacing systems that have long reached the end of their lifespan,” he said.
Switzerland has pledged to increase military spending to about 1% of GDP by 2032. Its spending currently amounts to about 0.7% of GDP, the lowest in Europe.