At a media conference on Monday, Viola Amherd, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, expressed her solidarity with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Amherd said that Switzerland would continue to work for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
The details of a possible peace conference still need to be examined in depth, said Amherd. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs will play a leading role in the organisation.
European stability
Switzerland also wants to focus on the reconstruction of Ukraine, which is of strategic importance for the stability of the continent.
The Lugano Principles of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2022), held in July 2022, serve as a political compass for reconstruction. Switzerland has earmarked CHF1.5 billion as part of its international cooperation until 2028.
Mine clearance is a central theme of this assistance. According to Amherd, a country without mines is a prerequisite for people to return home and for agriculture to resume again.
Sanctions and export controls
Zelensky thanked Switzerland for its help and sympathy for the fate of Ukraine, adding that being neutral does not mean that Switzerland should ignore reality.
At the media conference the Ukrainian President called on Switzerland to provide more than just humanitarian aid. He welcomed the fact that Switzerland is also supporting the sanctions policy against Russia, helping to rebuild the country, to clear mines and organising a peace summit together with Ukraine.
Zelensky also called for export controls on electronic components used in Russian missiles to be strengthened.
When asked which countries could take part in the planned peace summit, Zelensky said that in principle,all countries that recognised the territorial integrity of Ukraine could take part. The Ukrainian President pointed out that more than 80 countries took part in the fourth conference on the Ukrainian peace formula in Davos on Sunday.
In response to a question about China’s possible role in this process, Zelensky said that he hoped all civilised countries would participate in the process. He hoped that China would be present at the planned peace summit.
More
More
No peace without Russia’s word, says Swiss foreign minister at Davos
This content was published on
At the fourth peace formula talks in Davos, Ignazio Cassis said the Ukrainian peace plan is merely a “foundation” for talks.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Workplace Switzerland
Trump tariff shock: how Switzerland is positioning itself
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
Switzerland postpones online platform scrutiny as US tensions rise
This content was published on
Switzerland has delayed regulating large online platforms such as Google, Facebook, YouTube and X while trade tensions are rising.
Swiss Rhône river region braces for possible flooding
This content was published on
A pre-alert for possible flooding has been announced for the Rhône river as some regions of Switzerland brace for bad weather.
Switzerland commits CHF250 million for humanitarian aid
This content was published on
Switzerland allocates CHF250m to the World Food Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
This content was published on
Swiss electricity grid operator posts CHF103.8 million net profit, an increase of CHF3.8 million from 2023, boosted by higher tariffs.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
WEF to welcome Ukrainian President Zelensky
This content was published on
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to next week's World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, event organisers have announced.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.