ZURICH (Reuters) – Switzerland will act in solidarity with the West to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine while maintaining its traditional neutrality potentially to mediate in the dispute, government officials said on Friday.
While stopping short of adopting EU sanctions against Russia, Switzerland will adopt measures against targeted individuals, businesses and organisations so that they cannot use Switzerland to skirt the EU crackdown, officials told a news conference in Bern.
This would include banning banks and insurers from doing new business with them.
“For the Federal Council (cabinet) it is clear that Switzerland will directly adopt all measures of the EU concerning persons and groups. For example, these persons are no longer allowed to enter Switzerland,” Economy Minister Guy Parmelin said.
But these steps did not preclude Switzerland’s acting as a go-between to help find a way to halt the conflict, they said.
“Our position, and above all my goal, is to leave the doors open so that we can do what most other countries can no longer do – keep channels open between countries that no longer have diplomatic relations. Switzerland can provide this added value,” President and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said.
It was tricky for Switzerland to offer itself as a mediator as it should wait to be approached, Cassis said, but he added: “We are in contact and have held talks.” He did not specify with whom Switzerland had been in touch.
Switzerland had flagged the approach on Thursday, saying it would tighten its rules but not immediately freeze the billions of francs held by Russians in Swiss accounts.
Cassis said Switzerland was partially evacuating its embassy in Ukraine given fighting in the capital.
Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter said Switzerland was ready to contribute to efforts to help refugees fleeing the fighting.
(Reporting by Michael Shields and Paul Carrel; Editing by Nick Macfie)
