Switzerland ready to host Ukraine-Russia talks, promises Putin immunity from ICC arrest
Photo: Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (Getty Images)
Switzerland is ready to host a trilateral meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin's leader is being promised immunity from criminal prosecution, Swissinfo reports.
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, during a press conference with his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani, confirmed that Geneva is "more than ready" to host a summit between Russia and Ukraine. The minister stressed that Switzerland has extensive experience in diplomacy.
"I believe 200% in holding this summit, and we have been discussing it for a long time," he said.
According to Cassis, Russia is aware of Switzerland’s readiness, including through a message delivered to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Cassis also thanked French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for supporting Switzerland.
Most importantly, Cassis promised that Switzerland would grant the Russian leader "immunity" from prosecution by the International Criminal Court if he came to the peace conference.
Arrest warrant for Putin
On March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court’s Pre-Trial Chamber issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Russian Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova. They are suspected of the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied territories to Russia.
The warrant obliges all countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute, which governs the ICC, to arrest the Russian leader the moment he sets foot on their territory. In practice, however, the ICC cannot enforce this decision - for example, in 2024, Mongolia, a Rome Statute member, did not arrest Putin.
At the same time, the Russian President still fears traveling to most Rome Statute member states, since he does not rule out the possibility that an actual attempt to detain him could be made.
Trilateral meeting of Zelenskyy, Trump, and Putin
On August 18, Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump. European leaders also joined the discussions. One of the outcomes was Trump’s announcement about preparing a trilateral meeting between himself, Zelenskyy, and Putin.
European diplomats are considering several possible venues for the potential summit. Zelenskyy stated that he is ready to join the trilateral format in any configuration if the meeting takes place. Russia, as usual, immediately began putting forward demands.
