Letter to the editor

We condemn any warlike action to resolve the conflict, from the East as well as from the West! “Join in the European suicide or remain neutral?” With this question, the German-language broadcaster Russia Today (RT) warned Switzerland against passing on Swiss ammunition for German tanks to Ukraine. In this way, the Federal Council would not decide on an arms export, but on the future of Switzerland. If you consider that the RT online portal is blocked in EU countries but can be accessed in Switzerland, you wonder what image EU citizens have of Russia as an economic powerhouse, on which not only Europe’s gas supply depends, but also that of Grain. As a neutral country with direct democracy, we should definitely assume our responsibility for peace mediation! Russia Today qualifies that Switzerland’s neutrality was never perfect – nevertheless, neutrality in the First and Second World Wars and in the Cold War “always was useful as a bridge to a ‘post-war’”. Doesn’t this statement correspond to a request for Switzerland’s help in resolving the conflict between Ukraine and Russia? NATO boss Stoltenberg said on the Ukraine war: Peace is possible, the only question is how much territory and independence Ukraine is willing to cede for it. Since we, as a neutral country, are not obliged to support EU economic sanctions, we should resume our trade relations with Russia in favour of our national supply. We know that our country’s technology, thermal energy and food industry supply depends largely on Russian natural gas and wheat. For us citizens, the question arises as to how we could support our parliamentarians and business leaders in resuming trade relations and peace activities with Russia!

Matthias Elmiger and Gertrud Pfändler, Ebnat-Kappel

(Translation Current Concerns)