Switzerland pledges not to arrest Putin if he attends summit with Zelensky

Switzerland has pledged to grant President Vladimir Putin “immunity” should he travel to the country for peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The announcement was made on Tuesday by Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, France24 reports.

Since March 2023, Putin has been subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, last year, the Swiss government formalized a procedure allowing immunity for individuals under international investigation if they enter the country in order to participate in peace negotiations. The assurance issued by Cassis appears to have been made in an attempt to facilitate a face-to-face meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian leaders after Zelensky rebuffed Putin's suggestion that they meet in Moscow.

The arrest warrant that the ICC issued against Putin in 2023 focused on his alleged involvement in the mass deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Since then, Russia has only increased its efforts to «re-educate» children in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.