Neutral Swiss to beef up military spending in wake of Ukraine war

FILE PHOTO: Swiss President Viola Amherd, seen here when she was Federal Councillor during a state visit in Bern, Switzerland, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

ZURICH (Reuters) - The government of neutral Switzerland said on Wednesday it would be ramping up military spending over the coming years, the latest European country to do so in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine two years ago.

President Viola Amherd said that as of 2035, some 20 billion Swiss francs ($22.58 billion) in additional funding would be available, compared to planning before the Ukraine war.