Switzerland ready to offer Putin immunity as part of Ukraine peace talks

Switzerland would grant Russian President Vladimir Putin immunity from arrest as part of a proposal to host peace talks on the war in Ukraine.

The comments from Switzerland’s foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis, come after Trump urged Putin to make plans for a bilateral summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Trump met with Putin in Alaska last week, part of the US president’s effort to end the war, and followed that with talks with Zelenskiy and European allies on Monday.

Putin is subject to an international arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court related to the alleged, unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia since the Kremlin invaded.

“The goal of welcoming Mr. Putin to Switzerland without him being arrested is 100% achievable,” Cassis said Tuesday in an interview with Swiss broadcaster SRF. “We can determine this in a few days.”

Cassis said such terms only apply if Putin comes to Switzerland for peace talks, not on a private visit.

Switzerland last year organized a two-day Ukraine peace conference during which Zelenskiy failed to win over a number of key nations from the Global South. A Russian delegation wasn’t invited, which the Swiss said was because Russia “indicated many times that it had no interest in participating.”