Russia summons Swiss ambassador over asset confiscation debates
A bone to pick with Switzerland: the Kremlin in Moscow.
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Russia’s foreign ministry on Tuesday summoned Switzerland’s ambassador over the Swiss parliament’s approval of motions authorising the government to work on a way to seize and transfer Russian assets to fund reparations for Ukraine.
Russia summoned Ambassador Krystyna Marty Lang to protest at the narrowly passed Swiss motions which authorised the Swiss government to work on creating a reparations mechanism in international law for a country illegally attacked.
“Russia strongly condemns this step by the Swiss authorities that grossly violates the fundamental principles and norms of international law regarding state immunity,” the foreign ministry said.
“Any encroachment on Russian state property under the guise of any far-fetched ‘reparative mechanism’ would be nothing more than theft at the state level.”
The ministry said Russia would retaliate if the Swiss plan was implemented. The Swiss foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Switzerland said last year that it had frozen an estimated CHF7.7 billion ($8.81 billion) in financial assets belonging to Russians under sanctions designed to punish Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
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How could frozen Russian assets be reused to benefit Ukraine?
What should be done with Russian assets seized in Switzerland? Can they be handed over to Ukraine or would that violate the rule of law and undermine faith in banks? Would confiscating assets to pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine be compatible with Swiss neutrality? Are there other diplomatic options to assist with Ukraine’s post-war recovery? The…
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