Switzerland takes presidency of the United Nations Security Council, for the first time ever, starting this May 1st.
“In this role, Switzerland wishes to realize its reputation as an intermediate and a helping country,” declared Pascale Baeriswyl, Swiss ambassador to the UN.
However, the reputation of a traditionally neutral Switzerland has been harmed since the start of the Russian invasion in Ukraine.
“In political and diplomatic circles, people are shaking heads at the Swiss foreign policies of the last 18 months,” explains political expert, Christoph Frei of the University of St Gallen.
According to him, this is because Switzerland hesitated to join sanctions against Russia at first and continuously refused to stop allies in transporting ammunition to Ukraine, despite the country’s neutral policies.
Switzerland has also refused an invitation of the G7 to join a work group to track Russian President Vladimir Putin’s supporters’ funds.
