“I regret that the Bundesrat is not showing leadership”

Exactly one year ago, on February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine and has been waging a relentless war of aggression ever since. Millions fled, thousands killed. The devastation is enormous.

Where is the way out of this catastrophe? And what role do Switzerland and neutrality play? Former Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey (77) spoke about this on Blick TV in the program ‘Here asks the boss’.

Exactly one year ago, on the day the war broke out, she was already a guest on the show.

Blick: Ms. Calmy-Rey, did you think Ukraine would hold up so bravely a year later?
Micheline Calmy-Rey: That is good news. Thanks to the help of Western countries, Ukraine can resist. What we are witnessing is a rebirth of NATO. They help Ukraine with weapons, but do not want to go to war with Russia directly.

Isn’t it already a war between Russia and the West?
That’s what Vladimir Putin said in his last speech. He claims that Washington and NATO have long agreed to fight against Russia.

Do you fear an escalation of the war?
Such an escalation would be dangerous. It would mean a third world war. Therefore, the war is a challenge for Western countries. They want to help, but at the same time not provoke an escalation – so as not to get involved in a war themselves.

Our neighboring countries supply weapons to Ukraine. Switzerland does not even allow Swiss ammunition to be re-exported. Isn’t our country on the wrong side of history here?

No, I do not think so. Switzerland has condemned Russia’s aggression and imposed sanctions. The core of Swiss neutrality is that we must not participate in a military war between states. We must defend our territory, but not make our troops and weapons available to other countries.

So are you satisfied with the Bundesrat?
I regret that the Bundesrat is not showing leadership here. That was already the case a year ago when he had to decide on the sanctions. Now we have the same with arms exports. He is not taking the reins in this matter, but is leaving the committees in Parliament alone. He can come up with arguments, say whatever he wants. But no!

Does the Bundesrat explain itself too little?
He does not explain himself at all to the other countries. We also saw this last weekend at the safety conference in Munich. The Bundesrat only says: “Parliament is in consultation.” And he prefers to wait for Parliament to find a compromise. Instead, he should explain at home and abroad what else we could do in other areas. For example, when clearing mines. Because we have a small industry, we could support it a lot more.

How can Switzerland play a role in mediation?
Direct mediation between Switzerland and Ukraine is excluded. However, Switzerland could help with the prisoner exchange or with the grain deal. Switzerland is now a member of the UN Security Council in New York. This way she could also help to alleviate the suffering of the people of Ukraine and be much more involved in humanitarian projects.

A year ago, on the day war broke out, you called for tough sanctions in an interview with Blick. are they strong enough
Switzerland has taken over the EU sanctions, that’s right. But Switzerland could also do more in this area, for example with the oligarch funds. We’re not going to extremes here. According to information from the Swiss Bankers Association, we store CHF 200 billion in oligarch funds. But of that we have blocked only seven or eight billion francs. We could also do more in the field of humanitarian aid. In mine clearance, in diplomacy.

A year ago you were not optimistic about the course of the war. They said, “You can’t stop Vladimir Putin.” How does it look today?
For Russia, access to the Black Sea is at stake. Putin needs Crimea. And as long as no one is willing to negotiate, the war will continue – alas!

A pessimistic assumption.
A realistic one.

Is there anything that makes you optimistic about all this suffering?
I don’t think you can be optimistic. Because the result of this war is, among other things, a rapprochement between China and Russia. Two countries that want a different world order. It is a war between two empires. People are suffering in Ukraine, in Russia, all over Europe. The end of the war will not come until one of the belligerents says, “Enough now, we can’t afford more killing and more destruction.” Only then will both parties sit down at the negotiating table.

Source:Blick