Swiss neutrality is misunderstood in Ukraine, says Swiss ambassador
Swiss President Ignazio Cassis travelled to Kyiv, Ukraine, on October 20 where he met President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
People in Ukraine do not understand the Swiss concept of neutrality, says Claude Wild, Switzerland’s ambassador to Ukraine.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
Português
pt
Neutralidade suíça é mal compreendida na Ucrânia, diz embaixador suíço
In Ukraine you have to constantly explain to people Switzerland’s position and its stance on neutrality, Wild told ArcInfo, Le Nouvelliste and La Liberté newspapers in an interview published on Monday.
“And sometimes people get annoyed,” he declared, pointing to Ukrainian bloggers who are “extremely critical” of Switzerland.
The Alpine country has come under pressure recently to review its veto over the re-export of Swiss-made tank ammunition that Germany wants to send to Ukraine. Last week the Swiss government again rejected an appeal from Berlin to allow it to re-export Swiss-made ammunition to the war-torn country.
More
More
Switzerland refuses to budge on German ammunition request
This content was published on
The government has again rejected an appeal from Germany to allow it to re-export Swiss-made ammunition to Ukraine.
“Under the principle of equal treatment in neutrality law, Switzerland cannot agree to a request for the transfer of war materiel of Swiss origin to Ukraine as long as the latter is involved in an international armed conflict,” the government saidExternal link on Thursday.
Neutral Switzerland requires countries that buy Swiss arms to seek permission to re-export them. According to Swiss law, exports of war materiel must be refused if the country of destination is involved in an international armed conflict. The government says its legal situation “remains unchanged”.
More
More
Swiss neutrality policy to remain unchanged
This content was published on
Switzerland will not change its policy of political neutrality despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the government has confirmed.
Meanwhile, Switzerland announced a fresh financial aid package of CHF100 million ($100 million) for the country last week.
“The more our humanitarian aid is effective, the better we are understood,” said Wild.
The Swiss embassy in Kyiv, like other diplomatic representations, was forced to close at the end of February after the Russian invasion of Ukraine led to fears of the capital coming under prolonged shelling. It reopened in May.
More
More
Switzerland will remain neutral – until it’s attacked
This content was published on
Switzerland is neutral. So why has it been cooperating with NATO and the EU on security issues for years?
‘Kyiv already feels cold’, says Swiss president on visit
This content was published on
Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, who also holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, arrived in Ukraine on Thursday morning.
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?
Zurich arbitration authority rules in favour of tenants of ‘Sugus Houses’
This content was published on
A conciliation authority says the terminations of 105 flat leases in the so-called "Sugus Houses" in the centre of Zurich were abusive. The tenants therefore do not have to move out - at least for the time being.
This content was published on
Visitors to Switzerland spent CHF19.6 billion ($23.9 billion) last year, a 2.2% rise compared to the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Monday.
This content was published on
Despite the current tense economic situation, Swiss consumer sentiment remains positive. The Swiss spent more money in May than the previous year, particularly on restaurant visits and leisure activities, as shown by the latest figures released by PostFinance.
This content was published on
A bear killed four sheep in the Lower Engadine region near Scuol, canton Graubünden, last week. This was the first bear attack on local livestock in four years.
This content was published on
Experts believe that economic development in Switzerland will be weaker in 2026 than the forecasts made three months ago. They have also lowered their predictions for the current year.
This content was published on
Fewer people in Switzerland have a religious affiliation and the proportion who practice their religion regularly is steadily declining, a survey finds.
Study: trees have major cooling effect even in extreme heat
This content was published on
Plane trees in cities have an important cooling effect even in extreme heat, according to a new study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL).
EPFL launches digitised version of Battle of Murten panorama
This content was published on
To mark the anniversary of the Battle of Murten on 22 June 1476, the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) has launched a website that offers the public an immersive experience of the huge panorama painting of the historic battle.
77th Swiss Gymnastics Festival praised for ‘positive energy’
This content was published on
The 77th Federal Gymnastics Festival drew to a close on Sunday in Lausanne, after eleven days of popular celebration and sporting performances.
Report: Germany pressures Switzerland to re-export tank ammo to Ukraine
This content was published on
Switzerland faces pressure from Germany to review its veto over the re-export of Swiss-made tank ammunition that Berlin wants to send to Ukraine.
This content was published on
Switzerland is among the donors trying to provide humanitarian aid to civilians. What does it take to respond effectively when war breaks out?
This content was published on
Switzerland will not change its policy of political neutrality despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the government has confirmed.
‘Kyiv already feels cold’, says Swiss president on visit
This content was published on
Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, who also holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, arrived in Ukraine on Thursday morning.
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.