Protonvpn is protonmail. They're the same company. They choose to operate in a way that allows user IP's to be given for arbitrary political reasons. They will do it with VPN too if they're "requested".
Under Swiss law Email is communication which is subject to a VPN which is not classified as a communications medium and subject to different laws.
There is no way a legitimate company can insulate itself from legal compulsion. However a legitimate security company can do everything within the law to protect users. Proton does this and has been legally tested.
Their claim: they have to follow the Swiss laws, the laws for mail providers and the laws for VPN providers are separate, and one of them requires IP logging, and the other doesn't.
Your claim: they're just doing whatever the hell they want, whatever is "politically" expedient for them. Without any substance behind it.
Considering Switzerland's reputation as low-corruption country, i.e. having a government that follows the rules, I can imagine the VPN department will fight such a "request" as you say in their court of law, but hey, I bet your guts know it all.
Following the law is not arbitrary. Nobody is going to jail for you, your data is not that important. And there is literally no better country to do this in. Whatever you think Proton could be would be a company you shouldn't trust in the first place.
Under Swiss law Email is communication which is subject to a VPN which is not classified as a communications medium and subject to different laws.
There is no way a legitimate company can insulate itself from legal compulsion. However a legitimate security company can do everything within the law to protect users. Proton does this and has been legally tested.