Switzerland is prepared to grant President Vladimir Putin temporary immunity from arrest if he enters the country solely to attend an internationally sponsored peace conference, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said at a press briefing in Bern. The offer would override, for the duration of the visit, the International Criminal Court warrant issued in March 2023 that accuses the Russian leader of war crimes related to the conflict in Ukraine. Cassis noted that the Federal Council last year set out guidelines allowing Switzerland to suspend enforcement of an international arrest warrant when a listed individual travels for formally recognised peace negotiations. "The exemption applies only to visits with an exclusive diplomatic purpose, not to private travel," the minister said alongside his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani. Under the Rome Statute, states that have ratified the ICC are expected to detain those wanted by the court. Switzerland’s position underscores the tension between its legal obligations and its longstanding role as a neutral venue for diplomacy. Cassis argued that facilitating direct talks outweighs the short-term legal conflict and serves Switzerland’s broader goal of promoting a negotiated settlement to the three-year-old war.