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 Russia |  Switzerland |
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| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of Russia, Bern | Embassy of Switzerland, Moscow |
Russia–Switzerland relations are foreign relations betweenRussia andSwitzerland. Switzerland opened a consulate inSaint Petersburg in 1816, upgrading it to a legation 90 years later. The two countries broke off diplomatic relations in 1923, when Russia was going through a period ofrevolutionary turmoil – and they were not resumed until 1946. Due to theRussian invasion of Ukraine, relations became tense after Switzerland imposed sanctions against Russia. Russia placedSwitzerland on alist of "unfriendly countries".
Contacts of some consequence between the Swiss and the Russians started as early as the 17th century, when a twenty-year-old Swiss soldierFrançois (Franz) Lefort came to Moscow in 1675 to serve theRomanov Dynasty, and soon reached a position of prominence. AlthoughCzarPeter I was crowned while still a child (1682), it was Peter's sisterSophia, and later his mother Nataliya Naryshkina, and theirboyar 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 ofRussian Empire. The Swiss-Italian architectDomenico Trezzini was the general manager of the construction ofSaint Petersburg until 1712,[1] and is credited with the creation ofPetrine Baroque, characteristic of that city's early architecture. The mathematicianLeonhard Euler and five members of theBernoulli family became members of theSaint Petersburg Academy of Science. A century after Lefort,Frédéric-César de La Harpe was influential in the upbringing of the future CzarAlexander I.
The first large-scale appearance of Russians in Switzerland dates to the early years of theNapoleonic Wars, whenSuvorov's armyfought back and forth across Switzerland and northern Italy in 1799–1800. While the results of these campaigns were inconclusive, they earned Suvorov the rank ofGeneralissimo, and became (in particular, the retreat overPanix Pass) a favorite topic for Russian painters.
To reciprocate, around 8,000 Swiss men joinedNapoleon's army thatinvaded Russia in 1812. Only a few hundreds survived the disastrous campaign. The heroism of the Swissat Berezina is immortalized in theBeresinalied.
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 fromAlexander Herzen, who became a Swiss citizen[1] in 1851, toVladimir Lenin, who visited Switzerland first in 1891 and then lived in official exile in Zurich between 1914 and 1917 before andduring World War I. He was only able to leave his Swiss exile in April 1917 during theRussian Revolution thanks to the so-calledsealed 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 theRussian Revolution in 1905, when 36% of all university students in Switzerland were Russians (2,322 out of the total of 6,444).[1] Not only the majority of all foreign students enrolled in Swiss universities that year (there were 3,784 of them[4]) had come from Russia, over two-thirds of these Russian students (1,507 of 2,322) were femalemostly because of the Russian educational qualification for the Jewish population.[5]
After thedissolution 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 aflyover country on the way to the more popular Mediterranean destinations.[6]
The tranquility turned into tragedy on 1 July 2002, when aBashkirian charter flightcollided with a DHL cargo plane just before entering Swiss air space fromGermany. 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 sentseveral spies to Switzerland over the years. In 2018, a confidential intelligence report compiled for theSwiss 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 inSpiez in 2018 that was testing thenerve agent used onSergei Skripal.[11]
In 2020, theSwiss 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 inBern denied having carried out "preparatory work" for spying on theWorld Economic Forum.[12][13] According to NZZ newspaper, "one-fifth" of Russian spies in Europe are based in Switzerland.[14]
In June 2021, Switzerland hosted the2021 Russia–United States summit, inGeneva.
Switzerland hosts several schools linked to Russia on its territory. One is namedSwiss School for International Relations (SSIR) in Geneva. Another well-known school isLe Centre international Lomonosov de l’Université d’Etat de Moscou (CIL).[15]
Following the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Switzerland decided to adopt all E.U. sanctions against Russia.[16] According to theSwiss PresidentIgnazio Cassis, the measures were "unprecedented but consistent withSwiss neutrality". The administration also confirmed that Switzerland would continue to offer its services to find a peaceful solution in the conflict. Switzerland only participates in humanitarian missions and provides relief supplies to the Ukrainian population and neighbouring countries.[17] In total, about 870 people and more than 60 companies are subject to Swiss sanctions.[18] Switzerland closed its airspace to Russian aircraft in March 2022.[19] According to a 2022-security survey, 77% of Swiss feel it is right for Switzerland to supportsanctions against Russia but only 27%support a NATO alliance.[20] Switzerland has officially called for the return ofCrimea and all occupied Ukrainian territory back to Ukraine.[21]
In March 2022, the business associationEconomiesuisse informed thatits 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.[22][23]
Russia's ambassador to theUnited Nations inGeneva expressed his disappointment and stressed the previously excellent relations between the two nations. On 6 March 2022, Russia haslisted 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.[24]
The Russian elites had stored billions of rubles of assets inSwiss banks. As the sanctions were imposed they shifted some of it to countries that do not impose sanctions like theUAE,[25] but also to western countries like France, the UK and the US.[26]
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 joinedsanctions against Russia.[27]
Swiss PresidentIgnazio Cassis spoke briefly with Russian Foreign ministerSergey Lavrov after the77th UN General Assembly Session on 22 September 2022. Cassis told the assembly earlier that Switzerland would not recognize the result of theannexation "referendums" in the disputed 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.[28][29]
As of March 2022, $6.2 billion of Russian money was frozen by the Swiss authorities.[30] TheHelsinki Commission (a United States influential commission) has accused Switzerland of “helping hide [Russian] funds” and accuses lawyers in Switzerland ofbeing the “enablers”. TheSwiss Federal Council has objected to this characterization.[31]
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.[32] This amount is based on the obligation to report deposits of over CHF100,000 belonging to Russians with no EU orEFTA connections only but does not account for the full amount.[33]
In February 2023, theSwiss Federal Office of Justice determined that the confiscation of private Russian assets would undermine theSwiss constitution andthe prevailing legal order. Switzerland froze financial assets from Russian individuals and companies worth 7.5 billion Swiss francs ($8.13 billion), and fully implemented EU sanctions. The decision would make anyexpropriation of private Russian assets of lawful origin without compensation illegal under Swiss law.[34]
Leading Russian opposition figures, including financierBill Browder, have criticised Switzerland by saying the country is not doing nearly enough, while granting Russia too many loopholes incommodities trading,real estate investing orbanking sector.[35][36][37] According to the Wall Street Journal in 2022, a front named "Bridgewaters" has been mainly used to hide assets of someRussian billionaires around the world, including in Switzerland.[38] According to U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland in 2023, "Switzerland could block an additional CHF 50-100 billion” of the Russian assets.[39]
In March 2023, US authorities said they were investigatingCredit Suisse andUBS and other big banks overRussian sanctions.[40]
In May 2023,OFAC imposed new sanctions on Swiss-basedDuLac Capital Ltd and its Swiss director for Russia in Dubai (Anselm Oskar Schmucki). Schmucki, a formerUBS banking representative in Moscow with close ties to Russian-based businesses in the UAE was accused to have close business relationships to Russian individuals suspected of money laundering andorganized crime throughshell companies operating in Russia, Cyprus and Switzerland.[41][42]
Between February 2022 and May 2023, the US has sanctioned 24 Swiss individuals and 16 Swiss companies. According toswissinfo.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.[43] Switzerland has not joined theRussian 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 toSwissinfo.[33]
On August 16, 2023, following the E.U. lead, all sales ofsecurities to Russian nationals became prohibited.[44]
On 17 April 2024, the lower house of theSwiss parliament voted not to join the international task force for enforcing sanctions against Russia. Switzerland, however does adhere to all sanctions the E.U and the U.S. is imposing but did not favour to join the REPO task force, which would confiscate frozen assets to finance the rebuilding of war-torn Ukraine. According to Justice MinisterBeat Jans, Switzerland had an interest not to join the task force in order "to continue to offer good services". Switzerland held a two-dayUkraine peace conference in the historic alpine resortBurgenstock on 15 to 16 June 2024.[45][46]
According to theTages Anzeiger in 2024, Swiss banks, includingJulius Bär maintained business relations with people close to President Putin, despite international sanctions.[47]
According to swissinfo in 2023, military drones made in Russia had "Swiss and other European components" such as GPS navigation systems.[48]
In late October 2025, Switzerland tightened Russia sanctions in the oil and gas sector, but essentially refrained from imposing a transaction ban on Chinese financial institutions. These measures came on the heel of increased U.S. sanctions on the Russian petroleum industry as well as Chinese energy commodities.[49]
At the end of 2018, there were 732 Swiss nationals living in Russia.[50] As of 2020, 16,500 Russian nationals lived in Switzerland.[51] There are 70,000 Russian speakers in Switzerland (2022).[52]
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.[55] Switzerland mainly exports medicines, medical products, watches and machinery to Russia, while the chief imports are gold, precious metals and aluminum.[23]
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 inZug.[56]Gunvor,Vitol,Trafigura and Lukoil Litasco SA are oil and commodities trading firms with stakes inRosneft andLukoil, two major Russian oil companies.[57][58][59] Paramount Energy, Amur Trading, Cetracore, Mercantile & Maritime and Sunrise are reportedly also active players in this sector.[60][61] As of June 2023, Gunvor and Vitol were the only western-owned companies still among the top-tenbuyers of Russian refined petroleum.[62] The top four Swiss commodity tradersVitol,Cargill,Glencore andTrafigura, 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.[63]
MMK (a Russian-based company inLugano) is a major player in the commodities/steel trading with Eastern Europe.[64]EuroChem andSUEK are respectively two major Russian fertilizer and coal companies with a subsidiary in Zug.[60] KSL, another Russian coal company linked toPresident Putin with offices in Zug, has been banned from operating in Switzerland since September 2022.[65]
The headquarters of Russia'sNord Stream 2 pipeline project linking Russia withGermany are in Switzerland. Nord Stream 2 AG filed for bankruptcy on 1 March 2022 and laid off all 106 employees inZug.[66][57][67]
Gas makes up roughly 15% of Switzerland's finalenergy consumption. Around half of this comes from Russia (via Germany).[68] Russia supplies only 0.3% of Swiss imports of crude oil.[60]
Switzerland is also a major hub for Russian (and Ukrainian) grain and vegetable oil trading.[69]
Sberbank,Gazprombank andVTB Bank have a branch in Switzerland, the largest recipient of Russian private capital.[70] Between $5 billion and $10 billion of private Russian money flows through Switzerland every year.[57]
According to theNeue Zürcher Zeitung, the amount deposited in Swiss banks by Russian nationals amounts to some $150 billion but according to theBank of International Settlements, Russian nationals have only ~$11 billion deposited inSwiss bank accounts.[71] When including brokerage accounts, other investments and assets held throughoffshore accounts, the estimated amount was between $100 and $300 billion in 2022.[72] According to theSwiss Bankers Association in 2022, the amount held by Russian clients in Swiss banks is between $160 and $214 billion.[73] As of 2023, Switzerland was holding CHF10 billion for theRussian Central Bank.[74]
200 Swiss companies employing some 40,000 people in Russia have registered with the Swiss Embassy in Moscow.[75] Some of these companies, such asABB,Holcim,Sulzer andNestlé, have suspended or significantly reduced their operations in Russia, whileChristoph Blocher'sEMS-Chemie orLiebherr continue "business as usual".[55][76][77][75][78] As of February 2023, only 18 Swiss companies had completely exited the Russian market.[79] Another source in Ukraine says 77 companies headquartered in Switzerland were still active in Russia as of July 2023.[80] However, Switzerland by far is not the only country that keeps doing business with Russia under sanctions.[81]
Up until 2022, Switzerland was asignificant importer of Russian gold that was destinedfor refineries or jewelry production. Since August 2022, buying, importing or transporting gold and gold products from Russia are banned because of the sanctions.[82][83] Buta provision in Swiss law allows its companies’ overseas subsidiaries to trade Russian commodities (including gold or oil) as long as they are “legally independent".[84]
Russian investments represent only 1% of annualforeign direct investment into Switzerland (2022).[85]
As of December 2021,Credit Suisse had about $900 million credit exposure to Russia whileUBS had only $200 million exposure to Russian assets.[86] Other sources say UBS had $634 million “at direct risk” in Russia and Credit Suisse $1.7 billion.[87]
About 4% (i.e. $33 billion) of Credit Suisse wealth management business is with rich Russian clients.[88][89] Swiss BankJulius Bär has also reportedly been used by Russian nationals tolaunder money.[90]
Swiss pension funds have on average between 0.3% and 0.5% of assets invested in Russia.[87]
In 2019, Russian visitors represented 1.7% of hotel nights in Switzerland.[23]
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. It is believed that some gold exports transit viaKhazakstan orUzbekistan to avoid sanctions.[91] Exports to Russia from Switzerland were mostly pharmaceutical products, which are exempt under current sanctions.[92]
According to the Swiss newspaperNeue 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.[93]
Sergei Mikhailov, a Russian businessman and alleged leader of the “Solntsevskaya Bratva”criminal syndicate was arrested inGeneva in 1996 and incarcerated for two years.[94][95]
Swiss police arrested Russian businessmanVladislav Klyushin while en route toZermatt in 2021 and extradited him to the United States on charges of commercial espionage.[96]
KnownRussian oligarchs living in Switzerland areViktor Vekselberg (Renova Group),Alisher Usmanov (USM) andGennady Timchenko (Gunvor/Volga Group). The Swiss government has extendedEU sanctions onto these individuals after the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[72] Switzerland further imposedtravel bans on five unnamedRussian oligarchs with close ties toPresident Putin.[97]
Andrey Melnichenko (MDM Bank) reportedly lives inSt-Moritz.[98]
Dmitry Pumpyansky (OAO TMK/Sinara Group) reportedly lives in Geneva with his family.[99]
Petr Aven (Alfa-Bank) has reportedly a residence inBern.[100]
Sergei Popov (MDM Bank) lives in Canton deVaud.[101]
Oleg Tinkov, a Russian billionaire and entrepreneur, reportedly lives in Switzerland.[102]
According to United States and European security officials,Alina Kabaeva has spent long periods of time in Switzerland since 2015, at residences inLugano andCologny.[103] In March 2015, she was reported to have given birth to a daughter at the VIP hospital of Saint Ann inTicino, Switzerland.[104][105] Kabaeva has been sanctioned by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom.[106]
According toCyprus Confidential documents released by theInternational Consortium of Investigative Journalists in 2023, at least 20Russian oligarchs hadSwiss bank accounts.[107]
In addition, about 85 Russian nationals held“Golden Visas” in Switzerland in 2022.[100]
In 2025, theE.U. sanctioned Swiss citizen and ex-intelligence OfficerJacques Baud for being a propagandist for Russia.[108] Besides, theSwiss military intelligence was previously accused of transmitting sensitive information to Russia between 2015 and 2020.[109]
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