Switzerland offered to represent the interests of Ukraine in Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry refused, saying that it had “lost the status of a neutral state”

Switzerland cannot represent the interests of Ukraine in Russia, as it joined the sanctions against the Russian Federation and thus lost its neutral status. This was stated by Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Ivan Nechaev.

According to him, Switzerland has long been interested in Moscow's opinion on the possible representation of Ukraine's interests in the Russian Federation and vice versa.

“We answered very clearly that Switzerland, unfortunately, has lost the status of a neutral state and cannot act either as an intermediary or as a representative of interests,” Nechaev said (quoted by TASS).

On August 10, Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesman Pierre Alain Elchinger told TASS that the country had offered to assume the so-called “protecting power mandate.” It provides that Switzerland could represent the diplomatic interests of Ukraine in Russia. These include, in particular, "the role of the host country for negotiations and meetings", as well as facilitating "possible negotiations".

The press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry, commenting on Elchinger's statement, stressed that after the start of the war in Ukraine, Switzerland "adopted all seven packages of illegitimate anti-Russian restrictions of the European Union, in fact taking one of the parties to the conflict", and was included in the list of "unfriendly countries" compiled by the Russian government .

• Now, as part of the mission of diplomatic services, Switzerland represents the interests of Russia in Georgia and Georgia in Russia, as well as the interests of the United States in Iran.