Switzerland refused NATOʼs request to provide aid to wounded Ukrainians as the country wanted to maintain its neutral status.
This is reported by Swiss Info.
The federal government of Switzerland has refused NATOʼs request to treat Ukrainians wounded during the war on the grounds of maintaining neutrality. The request for assistance to wounded Ukrainians in Switzerland was made by the NATO unit — the Euro-Atlantic Coordination Center for Response to Natural Disasters. The department deals with medical evacuation from Ukraine at the international level.
At the request, the coordinated medical service of Switzerland, the Federal Office of Public Health and the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs conducted various investigations. Three weeks later, federal authorities rejected NATOʼs request to accept wounded Ukrainians for "legal and practical reasons."
Switzerlandʼs main concern was the violation of its status as a neutral state. The Geneva Convention and the Hague Agreement of 1907 oblige any neutral power to ensure that soldiers who have undergone treatment or rehabilitation do not participate in hostilities again after recovery. "European Pravda" writes that in order to prevent them from returning to war, Switzerland might even have to intern the soldiers. The only way to deviate from this rule would be if Russia allowed the Ukrainian soldiers to return, which is unlikely. The Swiss government also said it was very difficult to distinguish between soldiers and civilians. Instead, the country will continue to send humanitarian aid to Ukrainian hospitals.