Switzerland said it would grant immunity to Russian President Vladimir Putin if he attended hypothetical peace talks with Ukraine, as world leaders discuss possible venues for a summit to resolve the conflict.:
Switzerland would grant “immunity” to Russian President Vladimir Putin if he visits the country for potential peace talks with Ukraine, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said Tuesday. The announcement comes amid renewed international efforts to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.
US President Donald Trump held intensive talks with European leaders at the White House on Monday, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which he phoned Putin and proposed a meeting between the two leaders. Trump later posted on Truth Social that he had begun arranging a summit, though he provided few details.
French President Emmanuel Macron suggested Geneva could be the venue for such talks, with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani concurring that the Swiss city “could be the right venue.”
Putin, who has been the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant since 2023 for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, would not be arrested if attending a “peace conference” in Switzerland, Cassis stated. He explained that Switzerland is “ready for such a meeting” and had “clarified the legal situation,” noting Geneva’s role as a U.N. headquarters and Switzerland’s special diplomatic status.
“We have always signaled our willingness, but it naturally depends on the will of the major powers,” Cassis said.
The Kremlin has not publicly agreed to a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented Tuesday, “Any contacts involving top officials must be prepared with the utmost care.”
Trump told Fox News he had “sort of set it [a summit] up with Putin and Zelenskyy.”
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