https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe could play a major role in monitoring a ceasefire in Russia's war in Ukraine, Switzerland's foreign minister said in an interview out Sunday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251207/swiss-see-key-role-for-osce-in-ukraine-war-ceasefire Sun, 07 Dec 2025 16:20:45 +0100 swiss-see-key-role-for-osce-in-ukraine-war-ceasefire Switzerland would grant Russian President Vladimir Putin immunity if he came to the country for talks on peace in Ukraine, despite the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250819/swiss-would-grant-putin-immunity-for-peace-talks Tue, 19 Aug 2025 16:35:13 +0200 swiss-would-grant-putin-immunity-for-peace-talks The value of Russian assets frozen in Switzerland since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has risen by nearly $2 billion in the past year to over $8 billion, the government said Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250403/switzerland-holds-more-than-8-billion-of-russian-central-bank-assets Thu, 03 Apr 2025 13:20:23 +0200 switzerland-holds-more-than-8-billion-of-russian-central-bank-assets Frightened by the prospect of US security disengagement and three years of Moscow's war against Ukraine, European countries are debating reinstating compulsory military service to boost their defences in the face of Russian aggression. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250316/spurred-by-trump-turnabout-european-nations-debate-conscription Sun, 16 Mar 2025 10:12:09 +0100 spurred-by-trump-turnabout-european-nations-debate-conscription Relations between the United States and Europe have historically had their ups and downs, but a storm has now blown up as a result of Washington's recent strategic shift. Will it blow through or get more intense? https://www.thelocal.ch/20250307/are-europes-ties-with-united-states-set-to-worsen Fri, 07 Mar 2025 10:25:32 +0100 are-europes-ties-with-united-states-set-to-worsen Switzerland could send 200 peacekeeping soldiers to Ukraine in the event of a truce, the head of the country's armed forces told the Blick newspaper in an interview published Sunday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250223/swiss-could-send-200-troops-for-ukraine-truce-army Sun, 23 Feb 2025 13:09:34 +0100 swiss-could-send-200-troops-for-ukraine-truce-army European leaders have been left in shock after the US sidelined them in its bid to bring peace to Ukraine and suggested it would no longer guarantee the continent's security, but will they now take action? https://www.thelocal.ch/20250218/will-europe-match-words-with-actions-after-being-sidelined-by-trump Tue, 18 Feb 2025 13:34:43 +0100 will-europe-match-words-with-actions-after-being-sidelined-by-trump Europe's security is at a turning point, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday, as she arrived in Paris for an emergency meeting to address the US's shock policy shift on the war in Ukraine. https://www.thelocal.ch/20250217/europes-security-is-at-a-turning-point-eu-leader-warns Mon, 17 Feb 2025 15:37:24 +0100 europes-security-is-at-a-turning-point-eu-leader-warns The US ambassador to Switzerland criticised the Alpine country's latest sanctions on Russia, saying he was disappointed by a "loophole" which could see them circumvented, newspapers reported Friday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20241019/us-worried-swiss-leaving-loophole-in-russia-sanctions Sat, 19 Oct 2024 11:26:13 +0200 us-worried-swiss-leaving-loophole-in-russia-sanctions Switzerland should consider a more flexible approach to its military neutrality and seek closer defence cooperation with NATO and the European Union, a major security commission concluded Thursday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240829/neutrality-must-be-revised-swiss-urged-to-be-closer-to-nato Thu, 29 Aug 2024 19:27:33 +0200 neutrality-must-be-revised-swiss-urged-to-be-closer-to-nato Switzerland is undertaking a major security operation around this weekend's summit on Ukraine, aiming to ward off not only physical threats but also cyberattacks and misinformation. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240614/swiss-pull-out-the-stops-for-ukraine-summit-security Fri, 14 Jun 2024 10:56:37 +0200 swiss-pull-out-the-stops-for-ukraine-summit-security The eyes of the world will be turned towards Bürgenstock, a cliffside resort overlooking Lake Lucerne, when Switzerland hosts a peace summit there on Saturday and Sunday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240613/revealed-four-things-to-know-about-the-swiss-resort-of-burgenstock Thu, 13 Jun 2024 16:59:08 +0200 revealed-four-things-to-know-about-the-swiss-resort-of-burgenstock The Swiss government said Thursday that its websites had been hit by a wave of cyberattacks ahead of Switzerland hosting this weekend's summit on peace in Ukraine. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240613/breaking-swiss-government-hit-by-cyberattack-ahead-of-ukraine-peace-summit Thu, 13 Jun 2024 14:09:22 +0200 breaking-swiss-government-hit-by-cyberattack-ahead-of-ukraine-peace-summit The Swiss government on Wednesday announced that it would host a high-level peace conference for Ukraine in mid-June, but said Russia would not attend. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240410/switzerland-to-host-ukraine-peace-conference-without-russian-involvement Wed, 10 Apr 2024 19:06:23 +0200 switzerland-to-host-ukraine-peace-conference-without-russian-involvement Swiss lawmakers have narrowly backed moves towards allowing the use of frozen Russian state assets to fund war reparations in Ukraine. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240308/swiss-consider-using-russian-assets-for-ukraine-reparations Fri, 08 Mar 2024 10:52:57 +0100 swiss-consider-using-russian-assets-for-ukraine-reparations Switzerland agreed Monday to a request by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to host a peace summit of world leaders on ending Russia's full-scale invasion -- but without inviting Moscow. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240116/swiss-agree-to-zelenskys-request-to-host-ukraine-peace-summit Tue, 16 Jan 2024 09:51:23 +0100 swiss-agree-to-zelenskys-request-to-host-ukraine-peace-summit Switzerland as a neutral country will not send arms to Ukraine, but its government said on Friday that dozens of retired trams from Bern and Zurich would be sent to the war-torn country. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240112/switzerland-agrees-to-send-ukraine-dozens-of-old-trams Fri, 12 Jan 2024 18:25:20 +0100 switzerland-agrees-to-send-ukraine-dozens-of-old-trams Ukrainians who fled to Switzerland after Russia invaded their country in February 2022 received the temporary ‘S permit’ visa. Now its future is in question. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230929/switzerland-mulls-ending-special-visa-for-ukrainian-refugees Fri, 29 Sep 2023 15:42:35 +0200 switzerland-mulls-ending-special-visa-for-ukrainian-refugees Last winter passed without major gas shortages, thanks to EU-wide actions - but the problem is far from solved for the winters to come, warns global energy specialist Professor Michael Bradshaw. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230906/opinion-a-winter-energy-crunch-in-europe-looks-a-distinct-possibility Wed, 06 Sep 2023 14:16:25 +0200 opinion-a-winter-energy-crunch-in-europe-looks-a-distinct-possibility Austria and Switzerland have officially joined the air defence initiative known as "European Sky Shield," initiated by Germany, in response to the changing security situation in Europe. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230708/austria-and-switzerland-join-german-led-air-defence-project Sat, 08 Jul 2023 15:15:55 +0200 austria-and-switzerland-join-german-led-air-defence-project