Switzerland decided to tow a line instructed by European Union, and time will prove this one as a blunder of epic proportion that the alpine country could have easily avoided.
Switzerland sanctions Russia
The Federal Council of Switzerland adopted sanctions against Russia on August 3rd on gold in the light of Russia’s ongoing military aggression in Ukraine.
Its adoption of the sanction was in line with the EU’s most recent sanctions on July 21. The main focus of the new regulations is a prohibition on buying, importing, or transporting gold and gold-related products from Russia. It’s also forbidden to provide services in connection with these products.
With this decision, Switzerland has made a shocking turn from their touted neutrality by implementing the most urgent measures against Russia for the first time since the war in February.
In many crises, including when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, Switzerland had refrained from imposing sanctions on Russia. But all of a sudden Switzerland breaking all odds and going a pro-EU line has infuriated Moscow. It immediately declined Switzerland’s request to represent Ukraine’s interests in Moscow. It said that it no longer views Switzerland as a neutral nation. The mandate for Switzerland to represent Ukrainian interests in Russia, which invaded its neighbour in late February, was agreed upon by Bern and Kyiv on Wednesday.
Russian Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Ivan Nechayev had said, “The Swiss were indeed interested in our opinion on the possible representation of Ukraine’s interests in Russia and Russia’s in Ukraine.”
He continued, “We very clearly answered that Switzerland had unfortunately lost its status of a neutral state and could not act either as an intermediary or a representative. Bern has joined illegal Western sanctions against Russia.”
The danger of Civil War
And this was just the beginning. Switzerland has faced the heat of European sanctions on Russia. The Nord Stream 2 which was denied certification by Germany, and Switzerland would have been a major beneficiary of the project. Even the headquarters of Nord Stream 2 is situated in Zug, Switzerland.
Further, the retaliation by Moscow against sanctions has seen a gas reduction in Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Russia reduced the gas to 20% of its capacity from the pipeline. Also, the recent decision by Russian energy company Gazprom to shut Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline for three days, starting on August 31 triggered fresh fears of the energy crisis across Switzerland. Bern is completely dependent on gas supplies from Germany via Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
Read More: Switzerland becomes a hell hole for Ukrainian soldiers
To put things in perspective, Switzerland sources almost half of its gas from Russia. And now, the danger of civil war looms as a consequence of energy shortages in Switzerland. The Swiss federal government and cantons issued a warning on Saturday, urging the population to be ready for “extreme situations” including rioting as the EU member nation prepares for potential energy shortages over the harsh winter. According to a senior cantonal security officer, the power outage caused by the oncoming energy crisis brought on by the continuing Russia-Ukraine war would have grave and disastrous repercussions.
According to Swiss police chief Fredy Fassler, if there are energy shortages in winter, there may be riots throughout the entire country of Switzerland. He issued a warning that the Swiss government must be prepared for the worst.
“Power outage… will have serious consequences. Imagine the situation when we can no longer withdraw money from ATMs, we can no longer pay by card in a store or refuel at a gas station. The heaters are no longer working. The streets are all dark. In that case, it would be possible to imagine that the population would rebel.”
Furthermore, Werner Luginbuhl, Head of the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission Elcom, urged the citizens to stock up on candles and firewood and be prepared for the outages.
Therefore, the decision by Switzerland to turn down its tables on neutrality was a reckless one. It could have maintained its neutrality as it did after Crimea. Now, it is directly facing the heat of its decisions and regretting sanctioning as civil war looms over the great alps.
