Switzerland loses years-long neutrality after siding with West on Ukraine — Kremlin

Switzerland is departing from its traditional policy of neutrality by taking a pro-Western stance on the Ukrainian conflict, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing.

He was asked to comment on the position of the Swiss People's Party, Switzerland’s biggest political force, which earlier said that the conference on Ukraine that the country was going to host was unilateral. The party believes it will be a conference of Moscow’s opponents because Russia won’t be present. Peskov, however, pointed out that the debate was Switzerland’s domestic affair. "Still, we would definitely agree with the party’s argument," he added.

"Switzerland is departing from its traditional, years-long policy course based on neutrality," the Russian presidential spokesman noted. "As far as the Ukraine issue goes, Switzerland has already lost much of its neutrality as it sided with the Western minority," he said.

The Swiss People's Party, which holds 62 out of 256 seats in parliament and two out of seven ministerial posts, strongly backs the country’s neutrality and is worried about the fact that Bern is no longer recognized as a globally neutral player. The party says that this is directly related to the upcoming conference on Ukraine that Switzerland is going to host, which was initially conceived in support of Kiev and its position on resolving the conflict.

Bern, not a European Union member, backs the EU’s sanctions on Russia. The Swiss authorities are actively discussing ways to assist and arm Ukraine. Switzerland is on the list of countries taking unfriendly actions against Russia, which Moscow approved in March 2022.