‘Kyiv already feels cold’, says Swiss president on visit
Swiss President Ignazio Cassis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended a news conference after their meeting in Kyiv.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
Reconstruction and humanitarian aid were a main focus of Thursday's talks in Ukraine with Volodymyr Zelensky, Swiss President Ignazio Cassis has told Swiss public broadcaster SRF.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts/jc
Español
es
El presidente suizo ofrece ayuda humanitaria durante su visita a Ucrania
“With President Zelensky, it was about the strategic situation of the country. Is there a way out of this war? How do you prepare for a hard winter?” he said in an interviewExternal link published on Friday. “You can already feel the cold in Kyiv.”
Asked why he went ahead with the visit, whereas German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier had postponed a trip for security reasons, Cassis said that he had felt safe in Kyiv and on the train journey from Poland. “I see that the city unfortunately has wounds from the last attacks, but it still seems to be in a stable and calm state,” he told SRF. “But of course in a war zone, there is never no risk.”
Cassis was in Kyiv on Thursday to assess the war situation and preparatory work for the reconstruction of Ukraine. During the visit he met with Zelensky, Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
The discussions centered on humanitarian assistance that Switzerland can provide to Ukraine and measures to later help the country rebuild.
Since the start of the war in February, Switzerland has sent more than 680 tons of relief supplies to Ukraine plus 4,750 tons of food. Another delivery of Swiss firefighting and debris clearance equipment is currently enroute to Ukraine.
In a tweet Cassis, who also holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, said he is “appalled by the war of aggression against civilian infrastructure” in Ukraine. He praised the resilience of people in Borodyanka and Ivankiv that have been targeted by Russian missiles.
Switzerland hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano on July 5, to which representatives of some 40 states and 15 international organisations were invited.
There are currently about 70,000 refugees from Ukraine in Switzerland. The authorities expect the figure to rise further over the next three months.
Cassis holds talks in Moldova on Friday before attending an international expert conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine in Berlin next week, organised by the G7 and European Commission.
More
More
Switzerland wants to play key role in rebuilding Ukraine
This content was published on
Switzerland is hosting a major international conference on reconstruction in Ukraine at the beginning of July.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Switzerland wants to examine cooperation with the EU in the defence sector
This content was published on
The Federal Council wants to examine a security and defence partnership with the EU. Exploratory talks are to begin as soon as possible. Among other things, the partnership would be used for defence procurement.
Swiss trial shows organic farming is 85% as productive as conventional agriculture
This content was published on
This is shown by the results of a globally unique open-air trial that has been running for 47 years in Therwil in the canton of Basel-Landschaft.
Nestlé fined by Swiss canton for illegally filtered water
This content was published on
Nestlé has been fined CHF 500,000 in the canton of Vaud for the unauthorised use of activated carbon filters in the production of mineral water. The filters were used to produce Henniez water from 2008 to 2022.
Swiss government proposes restrictions on Ukrainian refugees
This content was published on
Only those whose life and limb are at risk in Ukraine and who flee to Switzerland are to be granted S status in future. The remaining Ukrainian refugees should apply for asylum. This is what the Federal Council is proposing.
This content was published on
The Fribourg parliament approved a sum of CHF6.4 million to renovate the ramparts, the walkway and the towers, as well as to replace the exterior lighting.
Swiss rental housing listings increase for the first time in three years
This content was published on
For the first time in three years, the number of advertisements for rental accommodation is on the rise, but this does not dampen demand, quite the contrary. In Ticino, the average duration of an advertisement published on the main portals is 30 days.
Switzerland doing relatively well when it comes to child vaccination rates
This content was published on
Progress in child immunisation has stalled. For decades, the number of children vaccinated against measles, polio and other diseases has risen. But since 2010, vaccination rates have stagnated in many countries, according to a study.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Switzerland calls for return of Crimea to Ukraine
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis has again called for Russia to end hostilities and withdraw from Ukraine, including Crimea.
Swiss sanction 30 more individuals after Russian annexations
This content was published on
The Swiss government has added 30 people and seven organisations to its blacklist after Russia annexed four regions of Ukraine.
Bringing Russian war crimes to justice may take decades, says lawyer
This content was published on
Documenting and punishing Russian war crimes will take time, says Philip Grant, director of Swiss NGO TRIAL International.
This content was published on
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has pressed the ICRC to conduct a mission to a notorious camp in the Russian-occupied east of the country.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.