Switzerland and Austria have said they would host Russian President Vladimir Putin if he came for peace talks in Ukraine, despite an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed that a peace summit between Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky be held in Europe, in a "neutral country, perhaps Switzerland."

"I insist on Geneva," he said in an interview broadcast on August 19 on the French news channel LCI.

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said that under certain circumstances Putin could set foot on Swiss territory, AFP reported.

Last year, the Swiss government defined "the rules for granting immunity to a person for whom an international arrest warrant has been issued. If that person is coming for a peace conference — not if they are coming for personal reasons," Cassis explained.

The foreign minister pointed out that Switzerland is fully prepared to host such a meeting and highlighted the military-neutral country's long experience in this area.

However, he noted that relations between Russia and Switzerland have cooled since Bern decided to join the European Union sanctions imposed after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In neighboring Austria, the chancellery said that if peace talks were held on its territory, it would contact the ICC "to make President Putin's participation possible." Chancellor Christian Stoker said he had already offered Vienna as a possible venue for Zelensky's talks during his visit in June.

"Our capital has a long tradition as a place for dialogue," the chancellor said, recalling that Vienna is home to several international organizations.

"Our capital has a long tradition as a place for dialogue," the chancellor said, recalling that Vienna is home to several international organizations.

Austria, a member of the EU but not NATO, has historically maintained close ties with Russia, but relations have deteriorated since Moscow invaded Ukraine.

Last month, Switzerland allowed Russia to participate in a meeting of parliamentary speakers. Valentina Matvienko, chairwoman of the upper house of Russia's Federal Assembly, attended despite international sanctions.

Bern said it had acted in accordance with the law and international agreements.

Swiss authorities can grant exceptions to travel restrictions, "especially if the person is traveling to attend an international conference," a spokesperson for the Swiss Foreign Ministry said.

An arrest warrant has been issued against Putin by the ICC for war crimes related to the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children.

The Russian leader last visited Geneva in June 2021 for a summit with then-US President Joe Biden.

The latest bilateral talks between Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul. Turkey is considered more friendly towards Moscow, despite its NATO membership. | BGNES