Switzerland’s neutrality vote puts Russia sanctions on the line

Voters in Switzerland will decide in a referendum Sunday whether to enshrine a stricter definition of the country's centuries-old neutrality into the constitution. A “yes” vote would effectively prevent Switzerland from imposing sanctions on Russia unless they were approved by the United Nations Security Council, where Moscow has veto power. It would also bar Bern from cooperating militarily with an alliance like NATO unless Switzerland itself came under attack or faced an imminent threat. “It’s not a vote against neutrality — neutrality is very supported — it’s about what neutrality means,” said Fabio Wasserfallen, a professor of European politics at the University of Bern and a pollster at LeeWas.