Switzerland promises Putin ‘immunity’ from an arrest warrant thanks to a legal loophole involving ‘major powers’

Switzerland has announced it would grant Russian President Vladimir Putin immunity from arrest if he visits the country for Ukraine peace talks, despite an active International Criminal Court warrant against him. The offer comes as diplomatic efforts intensify following recent high-level meetings between world leaders.

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis made the announcement during a press conference on Tuesday, confirming that Putin would be protected from prosecution under specific conditions. The immunity would only apply if the Russian leader comes for official peace negotiations, not for private visits.

According to Politico, Switzerland’s willingness to provide this protection stems from what Cassis described as the country’s “special role and Geneva’s role as the European headquarters of the UN.” He emphasized that Switzerland has “always signaled our willingness, but it naturally depends on the will of the major powers.” The Swiss government had previously defined rules for granting immunity to individuals under international arrest warrants specifically for peace conferences.

Trump pushes for trilateral summit after Alaska meeting with Putin

The immunity offer follows President Donald Trump’s recent diplomatic push for peace talks. After meeting with Putin in Alaska last Friday, Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House on Monday. Following these discussions, Trump announced plans to arrange a meeting between Putin and Zelensky.

French President Emmanuel Macron has supported the idea of holding such talks in a neutral country, specifically mentioning Switzerland. “I’m pushing for Geneva,” Macron said in a television interview. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani agreed that the Swiss city “could be the right venue” for peace negotiations.

However, Russia has shown some hesitation about Switzerland as a host country. Cassis revealed that during recent conversations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, he was told that “since Switzerland adopted European sanctions, they have naturally lost some of the desire to do so in Switzerland.” Switzerland matched EU sanctions against Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova in March 2023. They are accused of unlawfully deporting and transferring Ukrainian children from occupied territories to Russia. As an ICC member state, Switzerland would normally be required to arrest Putin if he entered the country. However, Swiss law allows for exceptions when individuals travel to participate in international conferences.

Despite Trump’s recent warnings about consequences if peace talks fail, the Kremlin has not yet committed to a summit between Putin and Zelensky. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that “any contacts involving top officials must be prepared with the utmost care,” suggesting Moscow remains cautious about the proposed negotiations.

Putin previously visited Geneva in June 2021 for a summit with then-President Joe Biden, demonstrating that the Swiss city has served as a neutral meeting ground for US-Russia diplomacy before. Switzerland has also recently allowed Russian officials to attend international conferences despite sanctions, including Valentina Matviyenko’s participation in a parliamentary gathering last month.