Ukraine Peace Conference in Switzerland; 'Neutrality' Under Scrutiny

The Ukraine peace conference scheduled to be held in June in Switzerland has once again challenged the neutrality of this country. This conference, initiated by Switzerland and supported by the West, aims to find ways to reduce tensions and facilitate the peace process in Ukraine. However, the absence of Russia from this conference and the extensive Western support for it raise questions about Switzerland's traditional neutrality. In January 2023, Switzerland responded positively to a request from Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, and accepted to host this conference, to which Russia has not been invited. Western diplomats and Swiss foreign policy experts believe that this conference is more focused on finding ways to mitigate the risks arising from Moscow's aggression against Ukraine and efforts to isolate Russia rather than ending the war. The Swiss Foreign Ministry, in response to a request from Reuters, stated that Switzerland's neutrality is 'continuous' but 'does not mean indifference' and that 'Switzerland strongly condemns Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Outside the military sphere, the right to neutrality does not prevent solidarity and support for Ukraine and its people.' Switzerland asserts that this conference should pave the way for an 'upcoming peace process' and focus on global issues such as nuclear safety, freedom of navigation, food security, and humanitarian issues. Switzerland believes that Russia should also participate in this process, but the reason for its non-invitation to this conference is that it has repeatedly expressed no interest in participating. Moscow has considered Switzerland a 'public enemy' and deemed it unsuitable for peace mediation, especially due to its approval of European sanctions against Moscow. Diplomats believe that if this conference can reach agreements with Russia's allies on areas of mutual interest, pressure on Moscow for some form of compromise will increase. Meanwhile, European support for this conference is strengthening, with Olaf Scholz, the Chancellor of Germany, and leaders from Spain, Poland, and Finland expressing readiness to participate. Thomas Borer, a former Swiss ambassador to Germany, states that 'neither the Russians nor the Western allies consider us neutral' and emphasizes that Switzerland's commercial and security interests are intertwined with Western Europe, North America, and their allies. About two-thirds of Switzerland's exports go to these countries, and Switzerland is almost entirely surrounded by NATO member states. Franziska Roth, a center-left Social Democrat lawmaker in the Swiss parliament, says, 'Neutrality is a way to evade for a country that practically enjoys security provided by others.' She argues that aiding Ukraine takes precedence over the outdated concept of neutrality, citing Sweden and Finland as examples; two historically neutral European countries that joined NATO after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, Daniel Woker, a former Swiss ambassador to Australia, Singapore, and Kuwait, believes that neutrality has deep roots in the Swiss psyche and that abandoning it would be akin to abolishing the monarchy in Britain, regardless of the geopolitical forces pressuring Switzerland. The Zurich Center for Security Studies published a study last April showing that while the majority of Swiss people support closer ties with NATO, 91% still feel that Switzerland should remain neutral. Notably, 26% of Swiss people also support taking a 'clear position' in favor of one side in foreign military conflicts, reflecting an 8% increase compared to 2021. Zelensky once again called for Ukraine's accession to the European Union and NATO, while Putin reacted to the Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland, stating that Russia would not accept a forced peace plan.