Russia Says Swiss Vote Shows Country Is No Longer Neutral

By Staff, Agencies

Russia’s Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said Switzerland had shown that it was “not a neutral state anymore” after voters rejected a proposal to strengthen the country’s neutrality rules.

Swiss voters on Sunday rejected the “Safeguard Swiss Neutrality” initiative, which would have prohibited Bern from imposing sanctions on states involved in armed conflicts unless they were mandated by the United Nations.

The proposal also sought to restrict cooperation with military alliances unless Switzerland faced a direct or imminent attack.

According to the provisional official results, 70.15% of voters rejected the initiative, while 29.85% supported it. The proposal was rejected in every canton.

Following the vote, Ulyanov said the result “simply proved that Switzerland is not strong enough to be really neutral,” arguing that neutrality had become “wishful thinking but not a principle of this country.”

The initiative was launched by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party and the Pro Schweiz sovereignty movement.

Its supporters argued that Switzerland had moved “dangerously close” to the European Union and NATO, particularly since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, undermining its independence and credibility as a mediator.

Switzerland has largely aligned itself with EU sanctions against Russia since February 2022. Moscow subsequently placed Switzerland on its list of “unfriendly” states and has argued that Bern can no longer serve as a trusted neutral mediator.

The Swiss government maintains that sanctions do not violate the country’s neutrality. Before the referendum, the Federal Council argued that its existing policy gives Bern flexibility to respond to international developments while protecting its security and independence.

Swiss neutrality has been enshrined in the federal constitution since 1848. Although Switzerland is not a NATO member, it has cooperated with the US-led alliance for decades, with those ties expanding in recent years.

Both the Federal Council and parliament urged voters to reject the initiative, arguing that stricter neutrality rules would limit Switzerland’s ability to respond to international crises.