Switzerland will grant Russian President Vladimir Putin "immunity" if he visits the country for hypothetical peace talks with Ukraine.
This was stated today by Foreign Minister Ignacio Cassis, as Geneva is being rumored as one of the cities where the Putin-Zelensky meeting could take place, also at the proposal of French President Emmanuel Macron.
Donald Trump proposed yesterday a trilateral meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, with his participation. It seems that the steps are well underway for its realization, but at the moment, neither the time nor the place have been determined.
However, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed on Tuesday that the meeting be held in Geneva, an idea that Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also agreed with.
But Russian President Vladimir Putin has been facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court since 2023 for war crimes in Ukraine committed during the Russian occupation. However, as Politico notes, Cassis clarified that the Kremlin chief would not be arrested if he were to come to the country to attend a peace conference.
He added that Switzerland is “ready to host such a meeting.” “We have always expressed our readiness, but of course this depends on the will of the great powers,” he said.
"Switzerland has clarified the legal situation," the minister added, and can host such a summit "despite the arrest warrant against Putin, because of our special role and the role of Geneva as the European headquarters of the UN."
