Klitschko, speaking to blick.chExternal link on the fringes of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos, said that in conversations with members of the Swiss government he heard one sentence particularly often: “We are a neutral country.”
On the one hand he understands Swiss neutrality, he said. Nevertheless, he repeated what he said at the WEF 2022 in May: “One has to take a stance.” In today’s world, he said, one cannot be neutral.
Last week the Spanish Defence Minister said Switzerland was refusing to allow Spain to re-export war materiel to Ukraine. Switzerland has stuck firmly to the line that its neutrality would be damaged by allowing other countries to send Swiss-produced weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.
The Swiss government has also resisted pressure from Germany to sanction the re-export of ammunition to supply anti-aircraft vehicles already in Ukraine.
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Swiss neutrality policy to remain unchanged
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Switzerland will not change its policy of political neutrality despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the government has confirmed.
Last Monday Klitschko criticised the fact that international arms deliveries were moving too slowly.
On Wednesday NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Ukraine needed a “significant increase” weapons at a pivotal moment in Russia’s invasion and such support is the only way to a negotiated peaceful solution.
Klitschko, a former heavyweight boxing world champion, said he would take up arms himself to defend Ukraine. His father was a general and taught him that “the greatest honour for a man is to give his life for his country”. Compared to the previous WEF eight months ago, the situation around Kyiv is still difficult but stable, the mayor continued.
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Swiss neutrality is misunderstood in Ukraine, says Swiss ambassador
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People in Ukraine do not understand the Swiss concept of neutrality, says Claude Wild, Switzerland’s ambassador to Ukraine.
In banking, Switzerland can’t afford ‘model pupil syndrome’, says UBS CEO
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UBS Group CEO Sergio Ermotti says competition between banks in Switzerland will continue even following the takeover of rival Credit Suisse.
Switzerland to chair international forum on migration
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Switzerland will chair the Intergovernmental Consultations on Asylum, Refugees and Migration (IGC) in 2025, the government announced on Monday.
Y2K anniversary: Swiss preparations to dodge the millennium bug
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The idea that computers around the world could fail at midnight on December 31, 1999 put many on alert. In the end, not much went wrong.
‘Switzerland needs a stable relationship with its neighbours,’ says foreign minister
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"We are once again entering an 'America first, Europe first, Switzerland first' logic," Ignazio Cassis said in an interview published Monday.
Jimmy Carter supported Swiss-backed peace effort for Middle East
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Former United States President Jimmy Carter maintained close ties with Switzerland and had expressed gratitude for the country's efforts on the Geneva peace initiative.
Swiss cowfighting championship at risk of being cancelled
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Despite growing popularity, the national Hérens cowfighting championship could be cancelled in 2025 for lack of organisers.
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