Switzerland refused to treat wounded from Ukraine, fearing a violation of neutrality.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry referred to the Hague Convention of 1907 and the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
The Swiss publication reports this.
How Switzerland justified the refusal
According to the publication, back in May, the Swiss authorities received a request from the North Atlantic Alliance to accept military personnel and civilians injured in Ukraine, including children, for treatment.
The cantons expressed their readiness to help, and the relevant departments began analyzing the request.
However, in June, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, having studied the international legal consequences of the issue, informed other departments that it was refusing to accept wounded from Ukraine for practical and legal reasons.
The Army Coordination Medical Service took into account the position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and canceled the preparatory measures already taken.
The Foreign Ministry cited the Hague Convention of 1907 and the Geneva Conventions of 1949, according to which neutral countries treating military personnel must prevent recovered soldiers from returning to war.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry explained that this rule could be deviated only if Russia allows the return of soldiers to Ukraine, which is unlikely.
As for the refusal to admit civilians for treatment, as the department’s Deputy State Secretary Johannes Mathiassi explained, this decision was made because it is almost impossible to distinguish civilians from military personnel, because in Ukraine many civilians are now taking up arms.
The representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that Switzerland plans to help on the ground, in particular, to provide assistance to civilian hospitals in Ukraine.
There is no point in transporting patients across half of Europe if you can get help locallyMatthiasi explained.
