Swiss president discusses frozen Russian assets for Ukraine in Estonia talks

Swiss President Viola Amherd met Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in Tallin on February 6. © Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

If European and G7 countries reach an agreement on a law to freeze Russian assets and use them to rebuild Ukraine, Switzerland should also consider adopting one, said Swiss President Viola Amherd.

On Tuesday, Amherd met with Estonian President Alar Karis, Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur, and Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in Tallinn. Kallas explained that legislation similar to the proposed law has already been passed by the Estonian parliament and now awaits a further vote.

Amherd explained that Switzerland hoped for an international solution rather than each country devising its own measures. Kallas assured that both the European Union and the G7 are actively working on projects similar to the Estonian law.

When asked whether such a law was compatible with Swiss neutrality, Amherd replied: “It depends”, but that their solution was “interesting”. It is a triangular relationship: if Russia files a complaint against Estonia for the return of confiscated assets, instead of returning them to Russia, Estonia can cede them to Ukraine.

In Switzerland, the House of Representatives and the government are in favour of using frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine. However, the responsible Senate committee is opposed to this project. The issue is expected to be debated by the senators during the upcoming spring session.

Mine clearance

The war in Ukraine was also discussed during her meeting with Defence Minister Pevkur. “Estonia is grateful to Switzerland for the work it is doing in the humanitarian field, and in particular in humanitarian demining,” said Amherd.

She added that the Estonian politicians were particularly interested in knowing whether Switzerland also conducted mine clearance at sea. Amherd said that in the context of demining support “ we are assessing Ukraine’s needs. While Switzerland doesn’t specialise in sea mine clearance, if Ukraine were to report significant needs in this area we will collaborate with specialists and explore solutions.'”

Relations with the EU

While the draft mandate for negotiations with the EU is under consultation, relations between Switzerland and its big neighbour have not been forgotten. Switzerland can count on the support of Estonia, which is also in favour of a solution being found quickly, assured Amherd after her meeting with the prime minister.

As part of Switzerland’s second contribution to specific EU member states, CHF26 million has been allocated to Estonia. This funding will facilitate cooperation between the two countries in the fields of biodiversity and integration—an important issue for Estonia, which is currently hosting many Ukrainian refugees.

Exchanges of experience

The meeting with Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur also provided an opportunity to discuss bilateral defence relations. Switzerland and Estonia both operate under a militia system and have a similar mobilisation process. Some twenty years ago, Switzerland explained to Estonia how it worked. “Estonia then took over and developed the process,” explained Pevkur.

The head of the Swiss army will visit Estonia in June to exchange views with the partners and to see if Switzerland could learn from the developments in that country. The visit will also include discussions on cyber defence, an area in which Estonia has notable expertise.

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