Swiss voters have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that would have required the country to seek United Nations approval before imposing sanctions. More than 70% of participants in the referendum voted against the measure, official results showed.

The initiative, championed by the right‑wing Swiss People's Party, would also have barred Switzerland from pursuing closer ties with the NATO military alliance. Russia openly supported the proposal, while the federal government and all other major parties opposed it.

Lukas Golder, co‑director of the research institute Gfs.bern, told the Swiss public broadcaster SRF that the vote did not signal a rejection of Swiss neutrality itself. Instead, he said, it reflected a desire to maintain the ability to impose sanctions against Russia.

Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, speaking during a televised debate, noted that neutrality has historically been applied with flexibility. He emphasized that Switzerland has no intention of lifting its ban on arms sales to nations engaged in conflict, including Ukraine, but argued that neutrality does not equate to indifference toward violations of international rules that underpin peace.

Switzerland’s tradition of neutrality dates back to 1815, when the nation was granted "eternal neutrality" at the Congress of Vienna. The legal framework was later codified by the 1907 Hague Convention, which prohibited the supply of weapons to warring parties. The country has maintained this stance through both world wars, including a period in which it accepted gold looted by Nazi Germany and turned away thousands of Jewish refugees in an effort to avoid invasion.

In the 1990s, Switzerland issued formal apologies for its actions during that era. The nation’s system of direct democracy frequently places major policy decisions before voters via referenda, a practice that continues to shape its political landscape.