Russian Embassy says Swiss policy has cost Switzerland its mediator reputation

According to TASS and Vedomosti, the embassy press service said the freezing of Russian assets, the copying of EU and US sanctions packages and closer ties with NATO have "buried" Switzerland's reputation as a universal mediator. Kommersant reports the same assessment, and TASS quotes the embassy as saying Swiss neutrality has "actually ceased to exist."

TASS and Vedomosti write that on November 4 Switzerland added 254 individuals, companies and organizations to its sanctions lists, in line with the EU's 21st sanctions package. Vedomosti adds that Bern also lifted sanctions on businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman and on Andrei Falaleev, rector of Crimean Federal University, without giving reasons.

Vedomosti also notes that the EU listed about 1,600 Russian individuals and entities on October 12, and that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on October 16 that work on a 22nd package continues. The articles do not include a response from Swiss authorities.