Switzerland condemns Russian annexation of Ukraine regions

Russian President Vladimir Putin today signed treaties with the Russian-appointed heads of four Ukrainian regions to illegally annex them. Sputnik

The Swiss government has condemned Russia’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions, saying it is a serious violation of international law.

“It violates the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Ukraine,” said the government in a press releaseExternal link on Friday.  “Switzerland does not recognize the incorporation of Ukrainian territories into the Russian Federation.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday declared four regions of Ukraine partially occupied by Moscow’s forces to be Russian, following “referenda” which Western countries including Switzerland denounced as illegal. The four regions in the east and southeast of Ukraine are Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Putin has also threatened to use “all means necessary” to defend Russian territory.

“Having annexed Crimea in 2014, Russia is again violating international law with this annexation,” said the government. “Switzerland underlines that these territories are still part of Ukraine’s national territory. The Federal Council calls on Russia to de-escalate and to completely withdraw from Ukrainian territories.”

It also called for Russia to respect international humanitarian and human rights law and for “rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid to be guaranteed throughout the territory of Ukraine, including in the Russian-occupied territories”. “With winter approaching, the delivery of humanitarian aid to the population is vitally important,” it continued.

This comes amid a chorus of condemnation from other Western countries.  NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg called the annexation illegal and illegitimate and the most serious escalation of the Ukraine conflict so far. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that any annexation of a State’s territory by another State resulting from the threat or use of force was a violation of the Principles of the UN Charter and international law.

Asked in Geneva today whether this could mean Russia being ousted as a permanent member of the Security Council, a UN spokesman said this would be a matter for discussion by the UN member states in the context of the UN Charter.