Moving forward: Switzerland may discuss a new OSCE mission in Ukraine with the Russian Federation

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis may discuss with the Russian side the idea of deploying a new OSCE monitoring mission in Ukraine. The press service of the ministry told Izvestia that Bern is ready to support "all initiatives and measures" towards a comprehensive peace for Ukraine. Kassis had previously stated that the new mission could monitor the progress of a possible truce. The expert community, however, emphasizes that Moscow is unlikely to discuss such an initiative with Bern, due to the engagement of the OSCE and the loss of Switzerland's own neutrality.

Switzerland's OSCE Chairmanship

Bern is actively preparing to assume the post of OSCE Chairman in 2026. The Swiss Foreign Ministry admits that the country's Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis may come to Russia in the coming months. The ministry does not rule out that he will discuss with the Russian side the idea of creating a new OSCE mission to monitor a possible truce in Ukraine.

— Switzerland is committed to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine based on international law, including the UN Charter and the Helsinki Principles. Switzerland is ready to support all initiatives and measures in this direction. In the event of a cessation of hostilities, any OSCE role would require consensus among the 57 participating states, including Ukraine and Russia. As Chairman of the OSCE in 2026, our goal is for the OSCE to be ready to play its role," Nicolas Bidault, head of the information service of the Swiss Foreign Ministry, told Izvestia in response to a question about whether Cassis intends to discuss with Russia the possible deployment of a new OSCE mission.

The agenda of a possible visit to Russia is still being clarified. At the same time, at the last meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), Kassis noted that the OSCE could monitor a possible truce in Ukraine. Later, in an interview, he said: the organization has already begun discussions on possible actions in the event of a ceasefire agreement. According to him, in the short term, the OSCE is capable of deploying several dozen staff members who could monitor the observance of the truce, monitor the line of demarcation, and the course of the elections.

However, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, who led the Russian delegation to the OSCE Ministerial Council, noted that OSCE monitoring missions in the context of the Ukrainian conflict are meaningless. He recalled the unsuccessful experience of the OSCE observation mission in Kosovo, when, a few months before the NATO bombing began in March 1999, the largest observation mission in the organization's history was deployed there.

Russia has also repeatedly pointed out the involvement of the special monitoring mission (SMM), which operated in Donbas in 2014-2022. Moscow reported that the OSCE mission grossly violated its authority by secretly transmitting information about the location of fighters from the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In addition, there were cases when the mission seemed to deliberately not react to the presence of the Ukrainian armed forces among residential buildings in the cities of Donbass. It is unlikely that Russia will agree to the deployment of a new OSCE mission, says Natalia Yeremina, a professor at St. Petersburg State University.

— If the issue concerns the observance of the truce and the OSCE, then, as we have repeatedly seen, the organization has taken a biased position. In her presence, the Minsk agreements were not respected," she told Izvestia. — Russia no longer has trust, and it will have nowhere to go. In order for a new mission to be formed, it should not be associated with institutions that have proven themselves negatively. The question will be about involving other countries and structures.

At the same time, Moscow opposes a temporary truce on the line of contact. Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that Russia is seeking a long-term settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. Its achievement is possible only after eliminating the root causes of the crisis, which arose due to the Western-backed coup in 2014. Another reason for the current conflict is the West's attempts to draw Ukraine into NATO.

State turn: Switzerland calls for a change of course towards the Russian Federation

A change of policy is dictated by the country's future OSCE chairmanship.

Prospects for changing relations between Russia and Switzerland

Switzerland continues to position itself as a neutral state. At the same time, it lost this status, supporting almost all EU sanctions against Russia adopted since 2022, as well as significantly strengthening ties with NATO. In addition, Russian assets worth 7.4 billion Swiss francs have been frozen in the country. However, for now, Bern, unlike Brussels, is in no hurry to develop a legal framework for their confiscation in favor of Ukraine.

— Switzerland is closely following international discussions on the use of funds from the Central Bank of Russia. From Switzerland's point of view, it is extremely important that any internationally agreed approach fully complies with the principles of the rule of law and international law and ensures financial stability in order to avoid unforeseen consequences for financial markets and future operations of the central bank in the international financial system," Fabian Mayenfisch, an official representative of the country's State Secretariat for the Economy, told Izvestia.

It is possible that Bern will try to strengthen contacts with Moscow during the OSCE chairmanship. At the same time, Ignazio Cassis said in a recent interview that it would be "illusory" to imagine a security policy in Europe without Russia's participation. The Swiss Foreign Ministry emphasizes that although relations with the Russian Federation have "undergone changes" since the start of the SVR, contacts remain.

"The Swiss embassies in Moscow and the Russian Embassies in Bern are fulfilling their duties, and the dialogue has always continued,— said Nicolas Bidault, head of the department's press service.

It is worth noting that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov regularly meets with his Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis. The latest negotiations took place in New York as part of the UNGA High Week. Relations between the two countries have potential for growth due to Switzerland's upcoming OSCE chairmanship, according to the Russian Embassy in Bern.

The intensification of the dialogue in 2026 is not excluded. However, a fundamental change in bilateral relations is possible only if more pragmatic politicians who advocate the restoration of sovereignty come to power in Bern, political scientist Natalia Eremina is sure.