Switzerland to step up expulsion of Russian spies before Peace Summit

The upper house of the Swiss parliament has supported a proposal to tighten measures to expel spies, especially Russian intelligence agents, as Bern prepares to host a major summit aimed at paving the way for peace in Ukraine. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.

Details

It is noted that parliamentarians supported the proposal to "systematically expel Russian spies and other foreign spies" with 32 votes in favor and nine against. It was also supported by Swiss President Viola Amgerd in her address to parliament.

Foreign countries need to feel that Switzerland is responding to their security threats and defending itself,

She noted that the government wants to consistently expel intelligence agents whose activities threaten Switzerland's security or its role as a host state, emphasizing that this will not lead to automatic decisions.

Franziska Roth, a member of the center-left Social Democrats, said that neutral Switzerland is a "magnet" for spies because of the concentration of international organizations in the country. She added, citing data from national intelligence services, that this is especially true for Russian spies.

Arguing that Switzerland should demonstrate “zero tolerance” for espionage, Roth said the proposal should serve to strengthen mechanisms for monitoring and expelling spies.

The lower house of parliament already supported this proposal in December, and now the government must act accordingly.

Recall

Switzerland is organizing the Peace Summit in Ukraine on June 15-16, 2024, with the aim of bringing together heads of state and government to develop a common understanding of the path to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on international law.