The Federal Council has decided to adopt the 15th sanctions package of the European Union against Russia. This move continues Switzerland’s restrictive policy towards Moscow. The new measures will come into effect on February 13, 2025.
Already on December 23, 2024, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (WBF) had unilaterally imposed sanctions on 54 natural persons, 30 companies and organizations. The official alignment with the EU package, adopted in mid-December, now follows.
One of the key changes is the ban on recognizing or enforcing Russian court decisions if Russian courts unilaterally claim exclusive jurisdiction over disputes between Russian and Swiss companies. This rule aims to prevent Swiss firms from suffering financial harm due to Russian judicial practices.
Furthermore, various exception provisions have been extended to facilitate a well-organized withdrawal of Swiss companies from investments in Russia.
The sanctions are part of the international response to the ongoing Ukraine war. The EU had adopted new restrictive measures on December 16, 2024, to increase economic and political pressure on Moscow. Switzerland, once a neutral country, is thus consistently following its previous line of largely adopting EU sanctions.
With this step, the Federal Council once again reflects the decisions made in the backrooms of Brussels and Washington and reaffirms its NATO-friendly stance.