Russia–Switzerland relations

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Russia–Switzerland relations
Map indicating locations of Russia and Switzerland

Russia

Switzerland

Russia–Switzerland relations are foreign relations between

list of "unfriendly countries"
.

History

Imperial Russia and Switzerland

crosses the Swiss Alps
(1799)
Monument near Andermatt (2015)

Contacts of some consequence between the Swiss and the Russians started as early as the 17th century, when a twenty-year-old Swiss soldier

Romanov Dynasty
, and soon reached a position of prominence. Although Czar
Sophia, and later his mother Nataliya Naryshkina, and their boyar
relatives, who were running the country for over a decade after - leaving young Peter with plenty of time to dream of how to change his country when he has real power. Lefort happened to be one of the people who greatly influenced the young Czar's world view, and, once Peter became fully in charge of the country, the Swiss soldier became one of his top advisers and became highly influential during the first several years of Peter's modernization campaign.

Even though Lefort died fairly early in Peter's reign (1699), quite a few other Swiss soldiers, adventurers, educators, and scholars made a contribution in the history of

Saint Petersburg Academy of Science. A century after Lefort, Frédéric-César de La Harpe was influential in the upbringing of the future Czar Alexander I
.

The first large-scale appearance of Russians in Switzerland dates to the early years of the

fought back and forth across Switzerland and northern Italy in 1799–1800. While the results of these campaigns were inconclusive, they earned Suvorov the rank of Generalissimo, and became (in particular, the retreat over Panix Pass
) a favorite topic for Russian painters.

To reciprocate, around 8,000 Swiss men joined Napoleon's army that invaded Russia in 1812. Only a few hundreds survived the disastrous campaign. The heroism of the Swiss at Berezina is immortalized in the Beresinalied.

Lenin's stay in Switzerland commemorated at Spiegelgasse 14, Zürich

In the 19th century Switzerland became a popular refuge with Russian anti-Czar émigrés, due to its culture of freedom, absence of a particularly close relationship between the Swiss republican government and that of Imperial Russia, and on occasions, its neutrality in wars as well. The list of Russian exiles who found shelter in Switzerland runs from Alexander Herzen, who became a Swiss citizen[1] in 1851, to Vladimir Lenin, who visited Switzerland first in 1891 and then lived in official exile in Zurich between 1914 and 1917 before and during World War I. He was only able to leave his Swiss exile in April 1917 during the Russian Revolution thanks to the so-called sealed train organised by German officials.[2][3]

The same reasons made the country a magnet for Russian students. The number of Russian students in Switzerland peaked in 1906–07, just after the defeat of the

mostly because of the Russian educational qualification for the Jewish population.[5]

Russian Federation and Switzerland

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the number of Russian visitors and migrants to Western Europe increased significantly, compared to the Soviet period. However, for most of them Switzerland remained somewhat of a flyover country on the way to the more popular Mediterranean destinations.[6]

The tranquility turned into tragedy on 1 July 2002, when a

collided with a DHL cargo plane just before entering Swiss air space from Germany. All 71 people aboard the two aircraft died in the collision. Having lost his entire family, Vitaly Kaloyev
killed the air traffic controller, Peter Nielsen, whom he deemed responsible for the accident.

Russia has allegedly sent

Swiss government found that one in four Russian diplomats based in Switzerland is a spy.[7][8] According to the Swiss authorities, this trend has increased since 2022.[9] According to the Swiss authorities, Russia has about 80 spies located in Switzerland.[10]

Russian spies had also allegedly targeted a laboratory in Spiez in 2018 that was testing the nerve agent used on Sergei Skripal.[11]

In 2020, the

Swiss police made the public aware that two "Russian spies", one of whom was disguised as a plumber, had travelled to Davos with diplomatic passports prior to the Annual Meeting. The Russian Embassy in Bern denied having carried out "preparatory work" for spying on the World Economic Forum.[12][13]

In June 2021, Switzerland hosted the 2021 Russia–United States summit, in Geneva.

Switzerland hosts several schools linked to Russia on its territory. One is named Swiss School for International Relations (SSIR) in Geneva. Another well-known school is Le Centre international Lomonosov de l’Université d’Etat de Moscou (CIL).[14]

Sanctions against Russia 2022-2024

Following the

support a NATO alliance.[19] Switzerland has officially called for the return of Crimea and all occupied Ukrainian territory back to Ukraine.[20]

In March 2022, the business association Economiesuisse informed that its sanctions against Russia would have a limited effect on the Swiss export economy. However, KOF (a Swiss economic research institute) reported that in case of tougher sanctions in the future, like for example a gas and oil ban, Swiss gross domestic product (GDP) would fall by 3-4 percentage points, spread over two years.[21][22]

Russia's ambassador to the

listed Switzerland as a country that has taken "unfriendly actions" against Russian citizens. Russia will require additional controls for Swiss-Russian businesses in the aftermath of the severe sanctions Switzerland imposed on Russian entities.[23]

UAE,[24] but also to western countries like France, the UK and the US.[25]

In August, Russia turned down an offer from Switzerland to represent Ukraine's interests in Moscow, after Ukraine agreed on a mandate for Switzerland to represent its interests in Russia. A Russian foreign ministry spokesman said the plan was not acceptable as it does not consider Switzerland to be a neutral country after Bern joined

Swiss President Ignazio Cassis spoke briefly with Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov after the 77th UN General Assembly Session on 22 September 2022. Cassis told the assembly earlier that Switzerland would not recognize the result of the referendums in the disputed Donbass regions of Ukraine. Lavrov told Cassis that Switzerland had left the path of neutrality because of sanctions. Cassis reiterated Switzerland's neutral position by not participating militarily in the conflict.[27][28]

As of March 2022, $6.2 billion of Russian money was frozen by the Swiss authorities.

Swiss Federal Council has objected to this characterization.[30]

As of June 2022, the "official" amount of non-sanctioned Russian-owned assets in Switzerland was CHF 46.1 billion, divided among 123 person or entities and 7,548 business relationships.

EFTA connections only but does not account for the full amount.[32]

In February 2023, the

expropriation of private Russian assets of lawful origin without compensation illegal under Swiss law.[33]

Leading Russian opposition figures, including financier Bill Browder, have criticised Switzerland by saying the country is not doing nearly enough, while granting Russia too many loopholes in commodities trading, real estate investing or banking sector.[34][35][36] According to the Wall Street Journal in 2022, a front named "Bridgewaters" has been mainly used to hide assets of some Russian billionaires around the world, including in Switzerland.[37] According to U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland in 2023, "Switzerland could block an additional CHF 50-100 billion” of the Russian assets.[38]

In March 2023, US authorities said they were investigating

Russian sanctions.[39]

In May 2023,

shell companies operating in Russia, Cyprus and Switzerland.[40][41]

Between February 2022 and May 2023, the US has sanctioned 24 Swiss individuals and 16 Swiss companies. According to

swissinfo.ch, Switzerland continues to be in a difficult situation with regard to its economic relations with Russian entities, as it is forced to accept decisions by the U.S. or E.U. without inclusive negotiations.[42] Switzerland has not joined the Russian Elites, Proxies, and Oligarchs Task Force (REPO) on grounds of neutrality and does not impose its own sanctions, rather it says it had "no choice but to adopt US sanctions", which have extra-territorial reach due to the power of the dollar and the US financial system, according to Swissinfo.[32]

On August 16, 2023, following the E.U. lead, all sales of securities to Russian nationals became prohibited.[43]

On 17 April 2024, the lower house of the

Burgenstock.[44]

Resident diplomatic missions

At the end of 2018, there were 732 Swiss nationals living in Russia.[45] As of 2020, 16,500 Russian nationals lived in Switzerland.[46] There are 70,000 Russian speakers in Switzerland (2022).[47]

  • Embassy of Russia in Bern
    Embassy of Russia in Bern
  • Consulate-General of Russia in Geneva
    Consulate-General of Russia in Geneva
  • Embassy of Switzerland in Moscow
    Embassy of Switzerland in Moscow
  • Consulate-General of Switzerland in Saint Petersburg
    Consulate-General of Switzerland in Saint Petersburg

Trade

Russia is Switzerland's 23rd largest trading partners with a trade volume of $5.1 billion. Russia accounts for 1% of Swiss exports and 0.4% of Swiss imports.[50] Switzerland mainly exports medicines, medical products, watches and machinery to Russia, while the chief imports are gold, precious metals and aluminum.[22]

Switzerland is a major hub for commodities trading globally. As such, about 80% of Russia's commodity trading goes through Geneva and with a further estimated 40 commodities companies linked to Russia in Zug.[51] Gunvor, Vitol, Trafigura and Lukoil Litasco SA are oil and commodities trading firms with stakes in Rosneft and Lukoil, two major Russian oil companies.[52][53][54] Paramount Energy, Amur Trading, Cetracore, Mercantile & Maritime and Sunrise are reportedly also active players in this sector.[55][56] As of June 2023, Gunvor and Vitol were the only western-owned companies still among the top-ten buyers of Russian refined petroleum.[57] The top four Swiss commodity traders Vitol, Cargill, Glencore and Trafigura, made a combined $50 billion in profits in 2022, five times more than in the previous decade, also because traders were producing additional profits from buying cheaper and sanctioned oil cargoes and selling them at a hefty profit.[58]

President Putin with offices in Zug, has been banned from operating in Switzerland since September 2022.[60]

The headquarters of Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline project linking Russia with Germany are in Switzerland. Nord Stream 2 AG filed for bankruptcy on 1 March 2022 and laid off all 106 employees in Zug.[61][52][62]

Gas makes up roughly 15% of Switzerland's final energy consumption. Around half of this comes from Russia (via Germany).[63] Russia supplies only 0.3% of Swiss imports of crude oil.[55]

Switzerland is also a major hub for Russian (and Ukrainian) grain and vegetable oil trading.[64]

Sberbank, Gazprombank and VTB Bank have a branch in Switzerland, the largest recipient of Russian private capital.[65] Between $5 billion and $10 billion of private Russian money flows through Switzerland every year.[52]

According to the

Russian Central Bank.[69]

200 Swiss companies employing some 40,000 people in Russia have registered with the Swiss Embassy in Moscow.

EMS-Chemie or Liebherr continue "business as usual".[50][71][72][70][73] As of February 2023, only 18 Swiss companies had completely exited the Russian market.[74] Another source in Ukraine says 77 companies headquartered in Switzerland were still active in Russia as of July 2023.[75] However, Switzerland by far is not the only country that keeps doing business with Russia under sanctions.[76]

Up until 2022, Switzerland was a

significant importer of Russian gold that was destined for refineries or jewelry production. Since August 2022, buying, importing or transporting gold and gold products from Russia are banned because of the sanctions.[77][78] But a provision in Swiss law allows its companies’ overseas subsidiaries to trade Russian commodities (including gold or oil) as long as they are “legally independent".[79]

Russian investments represent only 1% of annual foreign direct investment into Switzerland (2022).[80]

As of December 2021, Credit Suisse had about $900 million credit exposure to Russia while UBS had only $200 million exposure to Russian assets.[81] Other sources say UBS had $634 million “at direct risk” in Russia and Credit Suisse $1.7 billion.[82]

About 4% (i.e. $33 billion) of Credit Suisse wealth management business is with rich Russian clients.

Julius Bär has also reportedly been used by Russian nationals to launder money.[85]

Swiss pension funds have on average between 0.3% and 0.5% of assets invested in Russia.[82]

In 2019, Russian visitors represented 1.7% of hotel nights in Switzerland.[22]

According to 2022 trade information, exports to Russia have increased 19% while imports have risen 54% since the Ukraine war began. The sizable increase of imports is dominated by gold, which increased in value in late 2022. Switzerland had outlawed direct gold imports from Russia in August 2022, but this had little impact on the import of Russian gold. Exports to Russia from Switzerland were mostly pharmaceutical products, which are exempt under current sanctions.[86]

According to the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, sanctions imposed on the Russian commodity trade had a significant impact on the trade of Russian petroleum as well as copper and wheat. In 2022, trade figures still indicated an increase to 88.5 billion CHF, but in 2023, Swiss commodity traders lowered their exposure to 18.5 billion CHF, a significant decline that also reflects lower prices on the market.[87]

Individuals

Sergei Mikhailov, a Russian businessman and alleged leader of the “Solntsevskaya Bratvacriminal syndicate was arrested in Geneva in 1996 and incarcerated for two years.[88][89]

Swiss police arrested Russian businessman Vladislav Klyushin while en route to Zermatt in 2021 and extradited him to the United States on charges of commercial espionage.[90]

Known

President Putin.[91]

Dmitry Pumpyansky (OAO TMK/Sinara Group) reportedly lives in Geneva with his family.[93]

Petr Aven (Alfa-Bank) has reportedly a residence in Bern.[94]

Sergei Popov (MDM Bank) lives in Canton de Vaud.[95]

Oleg Tinkov, a Russian billionaire and entrepreneur, reportedly lives in Switzerland.[96]

According to United States and European security officials, Alina Kabaeva has spent long periods of time in Switzerland since 2015, at residences in Lugano and Cologny.[97] In March 2015, she was reported to have given birth to a daughter at the VIP hospital of Saint Ann in Ticino, Switzerland.[98][99] Kabaeva has been sanctioned by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom.[100]

According to

Russian oligarchs had Swiss bank accounts.[101]

In addition, about 85 Russian nationals held “Golden Visas” in Switzerland in 2022.[94]

See also

Notes and references

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  3. ^ Joshua Hammer (2017). "Vladimir Lenin's Return Journey to Russia Changed the World Forever". Smithsonian. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  4. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Switzerland § Education. Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 244–245.
  5. ^ "Censorship in the Russian Empire". www.yivoencyclopedia.org.
  6. ^ Switzerland is a party to IASTA, and generally allows overflight of its territory by other countries' civil aircraft. (International Air Services Transit Agreement - list of signatory states)
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  87. ISSN 0376-6829
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  99. from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
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External links