Putin discusses Swiss ties Assets and neutrality

Oct 1

Roger Köppel asks about Swiss companies’ Russian assets, citing Nestlé, and discusses neutrality and his own conversations with Egon Bahr. Putin says he does not remember the specific Nestlé details and reiterates Russia’s general position on reciprocal asset measures. In the subsequent discussion he respects Swiss sovereignty but questions the compatibility of current sanctions and alignment with neutrality, encourages independent decisions and supports dialogue. Köppel’s favorable account of Bahr and Putin’s policy views remain attributed. No Nestlé transaction, legal ownership finding, Swiss referendum result or newly adopted neutrality policy is established here.

At the October 1 Valdai session, Roger Köppel asks Putin why Nestlé is subjected to forced administration despite continuing to supply food in Russia. In Köppel’s firsthand account, Putin calls the measures reciprocal responses to sanctions and distinguishes administration from expropriation. Köppel also relays Putin contrasting those measures with European plans to transfer frozen Russian state money to Ukraine for reconstruction. This records Putin’s explanation and Köppel’s account, not an independent finding about legal ownership or a newly announced takeover. Putin characterizes Russian management of foreign-owned assets as reciprocal external administration rather than confiscation and says management could be returned if relations improve. In Köppel’s Swiss-company follow-up he reiterates the general policy while explicitly not recalling the Nestlé details. His legal characterization remains attributed; no particular transfer or property return is established.