‘We have to be prepared for wars,’ says Swiss security chief
Switzerland must be prepared for wars, even if there is hope that these will never materialise, says State Secretary for Security Policy, Markus Mäder.
“The better prepared we are, the greater the deterrent effect,” Mäder said in an interviewExternal link with SonngtagsBlick.
Following his participation in the security conference in Munich, the head of security once again emphasised that Switzerland must strengthen its defence capabilities and intensify cooperation with partners. “There is cause for concern in Europe,” he said.
Russia was a real threat, he said, adding that Switzerland must orientate its security policy towards reality. It had to deal with a world “that exists – and not with a world that we would like to have”.
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A world order that is no longer rules-based poses the greatest threat to Switzerland, Mäder said. “Switzerland in particular is in favour of a rules-based order and compliance with international law.”
This commitment was also evident in the engagement for a peace conference for Ukraine. In mid-January, Defence Minister Viola Amherd announced that Switzerland was prepared to organise such a conference. “We’re preparing this in the knowledge that it is a challenging task,” said Mäder, when asked whether he had found new supporters for the conference at the security conference. Diplomacy must now be given time, he said.
Translated from German by DeepL/ts
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