Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt during a visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, in April 2019. Bildt recently claimed that Switzerland should abandon its longstanding neutrality and join NATO, much as Sweden did. (Shutterstock/paparazzza)

Should Switzerland Still Be Neutral? Some Europeans Aren’t Sure

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Switzerland sits at the heart of Europe and is surrounded by NATO members on all sides—leading to accusations of “free riding” on NATO’s defense expenditures.

Although both Sweden and Switzerland were historically neutral for the entirety of the 20th century—remaining on the sidelines of both World Wars as well as the Cold War—the dynamic in Europe changed significantly after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Sweden, along with neighboring Finland, joined NATO.

Now—in what may seem ironic given Sweden’s past stance—former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt accused Switzerland of being a “free rider” on NATO.

Bildt noted that Switzerland and Austria, two Central European nations outside NATO, are both surrounded by NATO members, and thus protected in a way that wouldn’t be possible without the international alliance. Bildt criticized Bern’s longstanding stance on neutrality, even as it adopted European Union (EU) sanctions against Russia.

“The reasons that once led Switzerland to neutrality have disappeared,” Bildt explained in an interview with Swiss media company Tamedia.

Sweden Dropped Its........

© The National Interest