'Neutral country' Switzerland to be excluded from sanctions against Russia

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyun-jung] Switzerland, a neutral country in Europe, has announced that it will not join Western economic sanctions against Russia related to the threat of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to a report by dpa news agency on the 23rd (local time).

The Swiss Foreign Ministry explained that the principle of maintaining neutrality in international conflicts means not participating in wars and treating all parties involved in conflicts equally in terms of arms exports.

However, it also made clear that Russia will not be allowed to use Switzerland as a platform to circumvent the European Union (EU) sanctions.

It also pointed out that Russia's recognition of the pro-Russian separatist forces in the eastern Ukrainian Donbas region, the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), as states is a violation of international law.

Switzerland is not an EU member state and did not join Western sanctions during Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. However, Swiss authorities stated in a statement that "we are continuously in contact with several countries to exchange information on the current situation."

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