Swiss President Alain Berset announced on Saturday that Switzerland will provide Ukraine with aid exceeding 100 million euros, primarily for demining operations.
Berset made this announcement during a joint press conference in Kyiv, alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte.
“Demining for humanitarian purposes is our top priority, as it directly impacts the improvement of food security,” said Berset. “We have decided to allocate 100 million Swiss Francs (slightly over 103 million euros).”
The Swiss President emphasized that this contribution would enhance Switzerland’s involvement in addressing the challenges of mine clearance and food provision, and facilitate the export of grains from Ukraine.
President Berset arrived in Kyiv on Saturday for talks with President Zelensky and to participate in the Food Security Summit.
Earlier, Bern’s Ambassador to Kyiv, Claude Wild, stated that Switzerland would not follow its traditional neutrality in the Ukrainian crisis, despite its decision not to supply weapons to Kyiv forces.
It’s noteworthy that Switzerland ratified the seventh package of sanctions against Russia, banned the import of Russian gold, and froze the assets of Russia’s Sberbank.
