Swiss government sticks to current neutrality policy

Adoption of EU sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine do not violate Swiss neutrality, the government has reaffirmed. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

The Swiss government believes current neutrality policy as defined in 1993 remains valid and gives Switzerland enough room for manoeuvre, it said on Wednesday.

The policy implemented since 1993 “leaves Switzerland sufficient room for manoeuvre to respond to the events that have been taking place on the European continent since the start of the war in Ukraine,” says a government press releaseExternal link following a cabinet discussion on the issue.

The discussion focused on a neutrality report to clarify the policy, solicited by the parliamentary foreign affairs committees. The government wants to supplement this neutrality report with the experience of the Ukraine war and adopt it in the autumn.

Switzerland’s adoption of the EU sanctions against Russia after it invaded Ukraine are compatible with the neutrality policy defined and implemented since 1993, according to the cabinet.

The government says it will continue to monitor the impact of the Ukraine conflict on international relations and will “present an assessment of the situation, including with regard to Switzerland’s neutrality policy, in its foreign policy strategy next year”.