GENEVA — Switzerland and Austria, two nations with robust traditions of foreign-policy neutrality, signaled their intention on Friday to hitch a German-led initiative aimed toward strengthening Europe’s air defenses to take care of threats highlighted by Russia’s assault on Ukraine.

The Swiss and Austrian protection ministers, Viola Amherd and Klaudia Tanner, signed a memorandum of understanding on becoming a member of the challenge, which is called Sky Shield and up to now entails 17 different European nations, throughout a gathering with their German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, within the Swiss capital Bern on Friday.

Sky Shield goals to coordinate procurement of air protection programs and promote cooperation in coaching, analysis and logistics, and has attracted help from Britain, the Baltic States, Sweden and Finland. The Swiss and German ministers mentioned on Friday that additionally they meant to cooperate on strategic air transport.

Switzerland and Austria denied that their participation would in any means compromise their conventional posture of neutrality. A Swiss authorities assertion mentioned: “It is in Switzerland’s interest to gear its security and defense policy more consistently towards international cooperation, and to increase its contributions.”

But Swiss participation marks one other step towards aligning extra intently with European neighbors since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a course of that has stoked fierce debate with critics who concern the nation is straying from its custom of strict neutrality.

Switzerland has joined European sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion and has proven indicators of softening its stance on permitting gross sales of protection tools to nations offering army help to Ukraine.

Switzerland rejected requests from Germany and Denmark final 12 months to re-export Swiss-made armored automobiles and ammunition, however its decrease home of Parliament voted final month in favor of promoting decommissioned Leopard tanks to Germany. Under the proposed phrases of the sale, nonetheless to be accredited, the tanks couldn’t be despatched on to Ukraine, however they might be used to switch tanks that Germany is sending from its personal holdings.

Germany promotes Sky Shield as a speedy and cost-efficient strategy to plugging gaps in Europe’s air defenses by shopping for accessible programs off-the-shelf from the United States or different suppliers, and has set an instance by ordering the Israeli-U.S. “Arrow 3” protection system.

Berlin’s strategy faces resistance from France and Italy particularly, that are eager to advertise their very own protection industries and develop programs that can assist to wean Europe off dependence on the United States. Those arguments don’t weigh instantly on Switzerland, which selected to improve its air drive shopping for Lockheed-Martin F-35s as opposed to rival European fighters and can be buying the United States’ Patriot missile system.