Switzerland and Austria have both expressed their willingness to host Russian President Vladimir Putin for peace talks on Ukraine, despite the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against him for war crimes, including the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.
The possibility of a peace summit between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was raised by French President Emmanuel Macron, who suggested that the talks could be held in a neutral European country, specifically mentioning Switzerland. Macron also hinted at Geneva as a potential venue for the summit, citing its longstanding role in hosting diplomatic discussions.
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis confirmed on Tuesday that Switzerland would allow Putin to attend peace talks, as long as certain conditions were met. Cassis explained that the country’s laws, which allow for granting immunity to individuals under international arrest warrants, would apply in the case of a peace conference, but not for private visits.
Despite this, Cassis noted that Russia had cooled its relationship with Switzerland, especially after the country joined European Union sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Austria, which has historically maintained a neutral stance and is not a member of NATO, also expressed openness to hosting the peace talks. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker stated that he had already offered Vienna as a venue for talks when Ukrainian President Zelensky visited the country in June. Stocker highlighted Vienna’s tradition of being a hub for international dialogue, having hosted numerous international organizations in the past.
Switzerland had previously allowed Russian officials to attend international meetings, including a gathering of parliamentary speakers in July, even amid ongoing sanctions. In these cases, the Swiss government made exceptions under international law for such events.
Putin’s last visit to Geneva was in June 2021 for a summit with then-U.S. President Joe Biden. The most recent talks between Russia and Ukraine were held in Istanbul, where Turkey played a key diplomatic role, despite being a NATO member. Turkey is not a signatory of the ICC, and it has been seen as more aligned with Russia on various diplomatic issues.
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