Bern receives contacts in Kyiv

Everyone has their role in the Ukrainian struggle for survival: the direction of President Volodimir Selenski in Kyiv not only stages their own performance down to the last detail, but also casts the supporting roles on the outposts with the right characters. The previous ambassador of Ukraine in Switzerland, Artem Ribchenko, proved to be a bridge builder between Kyiv and Bern.

While his colleague Andrei Melnik in Berlin was lashing out at his host country with all its political weaknesses, Ribchenko recognized the opportunities offered by Bernese diplomacy. Although Switzerland, as a neutral special case in the Western community of values, cannot supply Ukraine with weapons, it is already supporting the country with concrete perspectives beyond the war.

Concrete help with demining and building shelters

Ribchenko understood the Swiss approach – and is promoted for it. After four and a half years in Bern, he will be special ambassador for reconstruction in Kyiv next year. Ribchenko confirmed this on Tuesday in an interview with the newspapers of the CH Media Group. This makes him the most important contact for the Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) in Ukraine.

“Switzerland is one of the ten most important countries when it comes to supporting Ukraine,” Ribchenko said in his farewell interview. In addition to the tangible winter aid worth CHF 100 million, the outgoing ambassador also mentioned Switzerland’s practical experience in demining and building shelters.

In a first step, a Ukrainian team is learning the basics from the Swiss army and civil protection. According to Ribchenko, working groups will later be formed in Ukraine, which will be reinforced with staff from Switzerland. As early as July, the army provided information about the training of Ukrainian specialists in humanitarian demining.

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Mine Clearance Command (Kamir) has developed special skills in the military missions abroad in recent years, which are regularly shared within the framework of the NATO partnership for peace. The Swiss shelters from the Cold War have been experiencing a sad revival since February 24 anyway.

Lugano principles serve European integration

But Bern’s main contribution goes beyond the transfer of manual knowledge. During his year as president, Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis positioned Switzerland as a political hub for the reconstruction of the war-ravaged country. With the Lugano conference at the end of June, Bern and Kyiv jointly launched a process to coordinate support for Ukraine and set priorities at an early stage.

The Lugano Principles are a key instrument. The focus is on Ukraine’s cooperation with international partners. The country’s reconstruction should also accelerate reforms, consolidate the rule of law and expand the country’s democratic base, instead of feeding the opaque power structures and corruption of the past.

First of all, these principles prevent international support from falling into the wrong hands. However, the Lugano Declaration is also a tool for Ukraine to integrate into the European community of values. Switzerland has assumed silent patronage for this. The possible path of Ukraine to the EU will be connected to Ticino and thus the homeland of Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis.

In his function as Federal President, he managed to establish a friendly relationship with Ukraine. Cassis visited Kyiv in mid-October just as the Kremlin had intensified its airstrikes against civilian infrastructure. Traveling by train from Poland to the Ukrainian capital posed a risk. The fact that the Swiss President did not cancel the visit and arrived without a media circus earned him a lot of respect in Ukraine.

Trust in the «special chemistry»

In the interview, Ribchenko pointed out the “friendly and warm” farewell to Cassis: “As a doctor, he understands the feelings of people who lose arms or legs in war. And as a doctor, he always remained a human being – as Federal President who has to follow world events closely.”

Now the staff in Bern is changing, and with it perhaps also the tonality: Selensky’s confidant Irina Venediktova, who served as Attorney General until her dismissal, is taking over at the Ukrainian embassy. The Kyiv directors could cast her as a prosecutor to target Russian oligarch funds in Swiss bank accounts. A working group in Bern is already brooding over possible answers to possible demands that are adequate under the rule of law.

Skilfully staging its own agenda is somewhat lacking in Switzerland. But with Alain Berset, a federal president is stepping onto the stage who enjoys the spotlight. He has the chance to give Switzerland some air in foreign policy in the election year. If Berset trusts in the “special chemistry” between Bern and Kyiv, as Ribtschenko once put it to the NZZ, he can position Switzerland strongly among foreign value partners and also domestically. The departing ambassador will be transferred to the right place for it.