Russia has been locked into a diplomatic stand-off with western nations, led by the United States, for several weeks over its neighbouring country.
Some 100,000 Russian troops are positioned at the border with Ukraine, raising fears of an invasion. Russia blames western countries of interfering in the region by inviting Ukraine to join the NATO military alliance.
On Friday, SwissState Secretary Livia Leu held scheduled talks with Russia’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov to discuss a variety of matters, including the Ukraine situation.
“Switzerland is concerned about the massing of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine and believes that security in Europe can only be strengthened through dialogue,” read a foreign ministry statementExternal link on Friday.
Switzerland is pushing for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to play a leading role in defusing the volatile situation. Both Switzerland and Russia are members of OSCE.
The diplomats also discussed other contentious issues, including Russia’s banning of the human rights organisation Memorial International and the continued detention of opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
The meeting on Friday covered a range of trade, finance, customs, energy, science, research, security policy, foreign policy and human rights subjects.
Popular Stories
More
Aging society
Is Switzerland repeating England’s housing mistakes?
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.
This content was published on
Hopes for a peaceful Ukraine outcome are still alive despite no obvious signs of a breakthrough between the US and Russia in Geneva talks.
What to expect from the latest US-Russia talks in Geneva?
This content was published on
American and Russian top diplomats meet in an attempt to ease tensions over the military build-up on Russia’s border with Ukraine.
Swiss recognition of former Soviet republics took 15 minutes
This content was published on
Documents from 1991 show that Switzerland swiftly recognised the new countries emerging out of the former Soviet Union. Now it's more complicated.
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.