Russia announced on Thursday that it had rejected Switzerland’s offer to represent Ukraine’s interests in Moscow and Russia’s interests in Kyiv because it no longer considers Switzerland a neutral country, Reuters reported.
The canton country has a long diplomatic tradition of mediating between countries whose relations have deteriorated or broken, but Ivan Nechaev, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, says that is impossible in the current situation.
“The Swiss were very interested in our opinion regarding the possible representation of Ukraine’s interests in Russia and Russia’s interests in Ukraine,” he told reporters on Thursday.
“I replied very clearly that, unfortunately, Switzerland has lost its status as a neutral state and cannot act as our mediator or representative,” he said.
Earlier, the Swiss press wrote that the main goal of the Swiss proposal is to enable Ukrainians living in Russia to receive consular services at the Swiss embassy in Moscow.
On February 28, Switzerland announced that, although it is not a member of the EU bloc, it will apply all sanctions imposed by the European Union against Russia. The announcement was made just a day after the invasion began on February 24, Bern initially saying he had no plans to do so.
Switzerland declares that it has not abandoned its historical neutrality
In March, Switzerland decided to join EU sanctions against Russia over luxury goods, even though the canton country is a major producer of such goods.
But the Swiss government said it would not treat wounded Ukrainians after receiving a request to do so from NATO in July.
In early August, Swiss President Ignatius Cassis said that despite his country’s sanctions against Russia and its upcoming entry into the UN Security Council, Switzerland “remains neutral.”
He emphasized the differences between military “neutrality” and condemnation of violations of international law.
His remarks came as Switzerland has just joined the EU’s seventh round of sanctions against Russia, which Moscow says will have “devastating consequences” for the global economy.
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Source: Hot News RU
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