Russian and Swiss foreign ministers exchange views on the situation in Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Inazio Cassis, exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine during a telephone conversation. This was reported on December 19 on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

It is noted that the conversation took place on December 18 at the initiative of Switzerland.

Lavrov singled out the expansion of NATO to the East as one of the root causes of the situation, which made the special military operation (SMO) non-alternative.

"In this regard, Russia's readiness to take all necessary actions to ensure its security has been confirmed," the ministry said.

The Russian foreign minister also pointed to the senselessness of ultimatums to resolve the Ukrainian crisis agreed by Western countries and the authorities of the Kiev regime.

Earlier in the day, Russian Ambassador to Switzerland Sergey Garmonin said that a sharp improvement in diplomatic relations between Russia and Switzerland is not expected in 2025. He also noted that the Swiss authorities are likely to support the position of Western countries regarding Russia.

Before that, on December 16, Kassis said that the country was actively continuing preparations for the next summit on the Ukrainian conflict. The first summit on Ukraine was held in mid-June in Bürgenstock, Switzerland. Russia was not invited to participate in it. More than a dozen countries refused to sign the final document of the meeting.

In October, the Russian Embassy in Switzerland recalled that the country had lost its neutral status by supporting the anti-Russian sanctions. At the same time, the Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed to Izvestia that it continues to work on involving the Russian side in the negotiations.

Prior to that, on May 2, Federation Council member Grigory Karasin said that Switzerland has been losing its neutral status in recent years, and the country's actions cross out the neutrality that Switzerland has held onto for so long.

The special operation to protect Donbass, which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the worsening situation in the region.