Status: 16.01.2024, 11:44 a.m.
By: Franziska Schwarz
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Switzerland, a non-EU member, insists on military neutrality. In the Ukraine war, it is now fulfilling a request from Kyiv.
Bern – Switzerland wants to host a peace conference for Ukraine that Volodymyr Zelensky wants. This was announced by the Swiss government on Monday (15 January). An invitation to Russia – the warmonger in the Ukraine war – is not planned, as Zelensky indicated.
Alongside Swiss President Viola Amherd, Zelensky said in Bern that the summit should be open to all countries that respect Ukraine's sovereignty. "So draw your conclusions from who we invite," Zelensky told reporters, presumably with a view to Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin.
A date for the meeting was not yet set. Zelensky was in the Swiss capital Bern that day, after which he will travel on to Davos. The Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) commented on Zelensky's visit to Bern that Moscow has so far behaved "remarkably" calmly, saying: "For Russia, Switzerland's special position as a neutral but Western country still seems to be interesting." The agenda of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos is the situation in Ukraine.
Peace summit on the Ukraine war planned in Switzerland – Russia reacts
According to the Reuters news agency, the Russian government rejected the peace summit, saying that nothing could be achieved there because Russia was not to be involved in the talks. "We want the Global South to be present," Zelensky said. "It is important for us to show that the whole world is against Russian aggression and the whole world is for a just peace."
Neutral Switzerland has already contributed to conflict resolution in the past and could now help find a solution to the Ukraine war, which began on February 24, 2022 with the Russian invasion (so the following photo was taken before):
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (left) receives Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Zurich Airport. © Alessandro Della Valle/dpa
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Zelensky in Davos: China as a lever for negotiations in the Ukraine war?
In Davos, Zelensky could now also meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang. From the point of view of the government in Kiev, China plays a decisive role in peace efforts.
Switzerland insists on its military neutrality with regard to the Ukraine war. For example, it prohibits the transfer of military equipment to a country at war. On Monday, however, Zelensky praised Switzerland's humanitarian support, especially in mine clearance. In addition, Switzerland has adopted the international sanctions against Moscow.
Economic relations between Russia and Switzerland
Switzerland is a global hub for commodity trading. Doing business with Russia has a long tradition. Some observers suspect a role for the Swiss Confederates in circumventing the sanctions against Russia. The government in Bern is defending itself against the accusations. Shortly after the start of the Ukraine war, economics professor Reto Föllmi told Swiss broadcaster SRF that the direct economic dependencies between the two countries were low.
"But there is a lot of money flowing from Switzerland to Russia – after all, Switzerland ranks sixth in terms of Russian direct investment," he stressed at the time. However, a general freeze on direct investment would not only affect those in power, he pointed out. (frs with Reuters)