The US is stepping up pressure on Switzerland

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Arms deliveries, CS rescue and oligarch funds – international pressure on Switzerland is currently high. In the case of oligarch funds, it is likely to increase again this week. The United States is sending its top sanctions official, Brian Nelson, to Bern for talks with the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco), according to the Handelzeitung.

Brian Nelson will arrive on Tuesday with a US delegation. The talks would be about sanctions in general, but also about finding oligarch funds. When the meeting between Nelson and the Seco will take place and who will participate, the Seco declined to comment on the request.

Letter to the Federal Council and Allegations from the US Ambassador

Last week it was announced that the ambassadors of the seven largest economic countries (G-7) have written a letter to the Federal Council. In it they call for more effort from Switzerland in the “deeper search for oligarch funds”. They also expressed suspicion that Swiss data protection law would make it impossible to detect illegal financial structures.

The American ambassador in Bern, Scott Miller (43), expresses himself even more clearly. He accuses the Seco of doing too little in the search for hidden funds. “Seco mainly thinks it is doing enough,” Miller said in an interview with the “NZZ” in mid-March. He is probably targeting Switzerland’s non-participation in the international repo task force. This led by the US to track down and freeze the largest possible Russian assets in connection with the Ukraine conflict.

Freeze another 50-100 billion?

So far, Switzerland has blocked a total of CHF 7.75 billion in Russian funds – the EU has blocked CHF 21 billion. But that’s not enough for the Americans. “Switzerland could block another 50 to 100 billion,” US Ambassador Miller said. However, this would only be possible if Switzerland joined the international task force.

However, when asked by Seco and the media, the US embassy declined to say where this estimate came from. That also prompted the head of Seco, Helene Budliger Artieda (58), to make a somewhat provocative remark. She accuses the Americans of not yet providing “useful evidence” for these funds. (sq)

Source:Blick