Switzerland to Slap Russia with LNG Imports Ban

(MENAFN) Switzerland is moving to completely prohibit the purchase and import of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), Swiss Info reported Thursday, marking a significant escalation in the country's alignment with Western economic pressure on Moscow.

The sweeping measure is scheduled to take effect on April 25 as part of the EU's 19th sanctions package — a bloc-wide set of restrictions that Switzerland has formally adopted despite its traditional neutrality.

Businesses operating under existing long-term LNG agreements will not face an immediate cliff edge. The government, which made its announcement on Wednesday, confirmed that such contracts will be granted a transitional window extending through the end of 2026, allowing affected parties time to secure alternative supply arrangements.

Beyond energy, the package carries a broader financial dimension. Authorities have greenlit a series of supplementary measures, notably a prohibition on transactions involving certain ruble-denominated crypto assets — a move targeting financial channels that could otherwise be used to circumvent existing restrictions.

The decision marks another step in Switzerland's gradual but deepening departure from its historically neutral economic stance, as European nations continue to tighten the financial and energy constraints imposed on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

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