For decades, the tiny European country of Switzerland has prided itself on neutrality in world conflicts. But on Monday, Switzerland’s president announced that his country would freeze Russian financial assets in the country.
This is a consequential move because many Russian oligarchs, and government leaders are said to have billions stuffed in Swiss banks.
After a meeting with the Swiss Federal Council, Switzerland’s president, Ignazio Cassis, said that the country would immediately freeze the assets of Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail V. Mishustin and Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov, as well as all 367 individuals sanctioned last week by the European Union.
The New York Times
“Switzerland reaffirms its solidarity with Ukraine and its people; it will be delivering relief supplies for people who have fled to Poland,” the government said, renewing its offer to mediate in the dispute.
Switzerland had walked a tortuous line between showing solidarity with the West over what it calls Moscow’s severe breach of international law and maintaining its traditional neutrality that it says could make it a potential mediator.
But it faced growing pressure to side clearly with the West against Moscow and adopt punitive sanctions.
Reuters
