Russian embassy says Swiss policy has buried its neutrality
The embassy accuses Bern of losing trust as a neutral venue after it froze Russian assets and expanded sanctions lists on Nov. 4.
Bern's policy has damaged the country's reputation as a neutral mediator, the Russian Embassy in Switzerland said on Sunday.
A spokesperson for the mission told TASS that the Swiss government's unfriendly stance and the alignment of its ruling elites with the Western line have eroded trust in Switzerland as a neutral venue.
The embassy said its press service "has to state that Swiss neutrality has actually ceased to exist."
The spokesperson cited the freezing of Russian assets, the copying of EU and US sanctions packages without distinction, and Switzerland's gradual alignment with NATO as the reasons for the damage to its standing as a universal mediator.
The embassy's comments follow a decision by Switzerland on Nov. 4 to expand its anti-Russian sanctions lists by 254 individuals, companies and organizations.
Switzerland said the changes were made in line with the 21st package of EU sanctions and later decisions of the European Union.
Switzerland has long promoted itself as a neutral host for diplomacy, and Geneva has hosted several high-profile talks between world powers.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Switzerland has aligned many of its sanctions measures with those of the European Union, a step that has drawn criticism from Moscow.
