Switzerland condemns Russian missile attack on Ukraine

A medical worker runs past a burning car after a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Oct. 10, 2022. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

Swiss President Ignazio Cassis has condemned Russia and called on it to immediately stop its "indiscriminate attacks".

“Strongly condemn the attacks against residential areas in different Ukrainian cities. Switzerland calls on Russia to stop these indiscriminate attacks immediately. Civilians must be protected under international humanitarian law!,” he posted on his Twitter accountExternal link on Monday. 

According to the Kremlin, the missile strikes against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities are part of Russia’s war strategy. Around 75 missiles were fired on Monday at various cities.

Cassis also referred to the war in Ukraine during his speech to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The last visit by a Swiss president to the Strasbourg-based institution was more than 30 years ago.

At that time, Europe was entering a promising era, marked by the fall of the Iron Curtain, the reunification of Germany and the end of the Cold War, Cassis told some 600 members of the Assembly on Monday afternoon.

Thirty-one years later, he said, enthusiasm and confidence were no longer the order of the day. On the contrary, “solidarity has been shaken by the many crises we are facing”. Crises that also call into question “our freedom, our values, our fundamental rights”, he added.

In the face of Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the resulting violations of international law, “solidarity is more necessary than ever”. For Europe, this is a threat to democratic values, he added.