A leading Swiss non-governmental group on Monday described Switzerland as a “safe haven” for Russian oligarchs and a trading hub for Russian oil, grain and coal. Public Eye called on the Swiss executive to “use all the levers at its disposal to stop the financing of this inhumane attack,” a reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine that has killed untold thousands, driven millions from their homes and rippled through the global economy raising food and fuel prices. He spoke on the day the Swiss president was due to host a conference on Ukraine’s eventual recovery from Russia’s war involving government officials, advocacy groups and UN institutions. Ignazio Cassis hosted leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy via video message, at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in the bucolic lakeside town of Lugano. Swiss diplomats say the meeting aims to chart a way forward for the world to help the war-torn country recover and rebuild when Russia’s war ends one day. Kassis was due to welcome Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal, leading a delegation of several Ukrainian ministers, lawmakers and others. Public Eye said that “as a safe haven for oligarchs close to the Kremlin and a trading hub for Russian oil, grain and coal, Switzerland bears a great deal of political responsibility.” He said Switzerland has over the years been a “popular haven” for Russian business tycoons to park their assets. The group said companies are using Switzerland as an “unregulated commodity trading hub” and taking advantage of a lack of transparency about financial transactions in the country. There was no immediate response from the Swiss government. The group welcomed Switzerland’s “humanitarian commitment” to Ukraine through the conference, but called on the government to strictly implement international sanctions on Russian elites and their government and to better regulate its trade hub. Switzerland is a major international economic center, and its government has traditionally touted Swiss “neutrality” — which is enshrined in law — and Switzerland’s role as a go-between between hostile countries and host of many international and UN institutions. The Swiss Bankers Association has estimated that the assets of Russian clients deposited in Swiss banks amount to 150-200 billion Swiss francs (about 155-210 billion dollars), making the country a key repository of Russian money abroad. Swiss diplomats say hundreds of delegates from the government, advocacy groups, the private sector, academia and UN organizations are expected for the Lugano gathering, which builds on a multi-year, multi-country debate on reform in Ukraine — even before the start of the war. Diplomats say the conference is the first to bring together disparate groups to come together to address Ukraine’s needs now. Other top attendees expected to attend are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. More than half a dozen heads of state and more than a dozen government ministers are expected to take part, as well as the heads of about half a dozen international organizations. TODAY’S RUSSIA-UKRAINE BALLS
