Peace meeting in Ukraine forces neutral Switzerland to join the West

The impending peace meeting in Ukraine, which is supposed to be neutral Switzerland’s most ambitious attempt in years to mediate a major conflict, is really demonstrating how Swiss security and economic interests are increasingly aligned with those of Western Europe rather than Russia.

This is the stance held by both nationalist opponents of Swiss cooperation with Western nations and proponents of closer cooperation, who argue that Switzerland is renunciating its neutral heritage and should restrict its involvement in global affairs.

Russia has not received an invitation to the June 15–16 negotiations, which Switzerland agreed to host in January at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The negotiations will take place in a lakeside resort close to the central city of Lucerne.

According to Western diplomats and Swiss foreign policy experts, the summit is not about ending the war but about attempting to isolate Russia and reduce dangers associated with Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

“The focus will be on strengthening Ukraine instead of creating bridges to bring about instant peace,” stated Daniel Woker, a former Swiss envoy to Kuwait, Singapore, and Australia.

In response to a Reuters request for comment, the foreign ministry of Switzerland stated that the meeting will not affect Switzerland’s “constant” neutrality.

The statement went on to say, “But being neutral does not mean being indifferent.” “Russia’s action against Ukraine is fiercely condemned by Switzerland. The right to remain neutral does not exclude solidarity and support for Ukraine and its people outside of the armed sphere.”

The meeting, which Switzerland believes could open the door to a “future peace process,” will address global concerns like food security, freedom of navigation, nuclear safety, and humanitarian difficulties, according to the ministry.

Russia has to be involved in the process, according to Switzerland, but Moscow has consistently stated it has no interest in participating, thus the country justified not sending out an invitation next month.

Switzerland is deemed “openly hostile” by the Kremlin, who also claims it is unsuited to act as a mediator in attempts to promote peace, particularly given that it adopted EU sanctions on Moscow.

In an effort to involve Russian friends from the so-called Global South—particularly China, which has expressed interest in attending—Bern has invited over 160 delegates to the meeting.

It might put more pressure on Moscow to make concessions if the summit can reach an agreement with Russia’s friends on issues of shared interest, according to officials.

With politicians from Finland, Spain, and Poland among others, as well as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirming his attendance, European support for the conference is growing.

According to Thomas Borer, a former Swiss ambassador to Germany, Switzerland’s security and commercial interests are closely linked to those of Western Europe, North America, and their allies, making support for Ukraine strategically essential.

He continued, saying that the government’s claims of neutrality would not alter that.
“Neither the Russians nor our Western allies view us as neutral,” he stated.

The EU, Britain, Japan, Australia, and North America account for almost two thirds of Switzerland’s exports. Not even 1% are sent to Russia.

Proponents of a more Westernized Switzerland also point out that the nations that make up NATO encircle the country almost entirely, providing protection from any potential outside threats.

“Neutrality is a cop-out for a country that’s basically getting a free ride off the security that others provide,” Franziska Roth, a center-left Social Democratic lawmaker in the Swiss parliament, stated.

Two of Europe’s remaining historically neutral governments, Finland and Sweden, have joined NATO since Russia invaded Ukraine.

According to Roth, the Russian invasion violated Switzerland’s obligation to support international law as a member of the United Nations. She continued, saying that modern ideas of neutrality were subordinated to helping Ukraine recover from that.

But regardless of the geopolitical factors pulling at Switzerland, neutrality is deeply ingrained in the Swiss psyche, and abandoning it would be like Britain removing the monarchy, according to former ambassador Woker.

In March, the Center for Security Studies at the ETH Zurich conducted a study in which 91% of Swiss respondents said the nation should remain neutral in international armed confrontations. However, 26% of respondents also supported taking “a clear stand” in favor of one side, an increase of 8 percentage points from 2021.

Additionally, the majority supported Switzerland’s deeper ties to NATO.
According to Woker and other detractors, neutrality is a risky anachronism that is being used to shield Swiss financial and economic interests at the expense of the nation’s isolation.

Acknowledged by European powers following Napoleon’s defeat in 1815 and codified in the Hague Convention of 1907, Swiss neutrality served as a cohesive force within the multilingual confederation amidst the World Wars.

The largest party in the Swiss lower house of parliament, the right-wing Swiss Peoples’ Party (SVP), contends that neutrality is essential to Switzerland’s prosperity and that Bern’s backing of Ukraine threatens it.

A referendum to include neutrality in the constitution has been started by the SVP, albeit it is unlikely to take place until 2025.

This month, the most iconic member of the party, Christoph Blocher, attacked the peace meeting, claiming that Switzerland would not fare well if Russia was not invited.

“We’re only bringing the Ukrainians,” he said. “And we say we’re neutral.”