Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Switzerland on Saturday to deal with Russian oligarchs who he said are helping to wage war against his country from the safety of "beautiful Swiss cities," Reuters reports.
Addressing thousands of people attending an anti-war protest in Bern, Zelensky thanked Switzerland for its support since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, but also had clear language about the Swiss financial sector.
"Your banks are where the money of the people who started this war lie. It's painful. It's also a fight against evil, if their accounts were blocked. That would also be a fight, and you can do it," he said.
"Ukrainians feel what it is like when cities are destroyed. They are destroyed on the orders of people who live in European, in beautiful Swiss cities, who enjoy ownership in your cities. It would be really good if this privilege was taken away from them," said Zelenski.
Reuters reports that neutral Switzerland, which is not a member of the European Union (EU), has fully adopted EU sanctions against Russian individuals and entities, including orders to freeze their wealth in Swiss banks.
The government did not give a figure for how much wealth is covered by the freeze.
Secret Swiss banks hold up to $213 billion of Russia's total wealth, the country's financial industry association estimates.
Zelensky also "hit" Swiss companies that continue to work in Russia.
It is the twenty-fourth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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