As reported by IZ with reference to The Federal Council, the Swiss government has approved a support program for Ukraine for 2025–2028, which will be the beginning of a large-scale twelve-year project to assist in the country's reconstruction, reforms, and sustainable development. At the meeting on February 12, key areas of work were identified: protection of the civilian population, peace promotion, economic recovery, and strengthening of state institutions. 1.5 billion Swiss francs have been allocated from the international cooperation budget to implement the first stage of the initiative. The program is coordinated in Ukraine by Ambassador Jacques Gerbert, a delegate to the Federal Council.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Swiss government has been providing assistance to Ukraine in four main areas: humanitarian support, promotion of reforms, diplomatic engagement in the peace process, and participation in reconstruction.
One of the key initiatives was the 2022 Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano, which laid the foundation for long-term cooperation. On April 10, 2024, the Federal Council reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Ukraine by announcing the allocation of 5 billion francs over the next 12 years. The project will use different assistance mechanisms depending on the needs of the regions and the situation in the country.
The first phase, which will last until 2028, provides for funding of 1.5 billion francs from international cooperation resources. In the second phase (2029–2036), Switzerland will consider additional financial mechanisms to allocate another 3.5 billion francs.
Main areas of support
The Development Program of Ukraine for 2025–2028 contains three strategic directions:
- Economic recovery. Switzerland will help small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine adapt to international markets. Particular attention is paid to the agricultural sector and the reconstruction of urban infrastructure, especially in frontline regions.
- Development of public services.The program aims to improve the quality of medical, educational and social services, as well as to support the stable supply of energy, transport and water. This will facilitate the return of Ukrainians who were forced to leave due to the war.
- Protection of civilians and peacebuilding. Special attention is paid to emergency assistance, humanitarian demining, search and identification of missing persons, as well as the investigation of war crimes. Determining the fate of the missing is important not only for the families of the victims, but also for the overall peace settlement process.
Effective implementation of the program requires active interaction between Swiss and Ukrainian government agencies, business, the scientific community and public organizations. About 500 million francs of the total funding will be directed to reconstruction in cooperation with Swiss companies.
To ensure a comprehensive approach to the recovery of Ukraine, at the end of January the Swiss Federal Council approved a negotiating mandate for an interim agreement with the Ukrainian government. The document is currently under consideration by parliamentary committees.
A special organization was created in September 2024 to manage the implementation of the project in Ukraine. The leadership is provided by a delegate of the Federal Council in cooperation with three structures: the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Department of Peace and Human Rights, and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.
For more information on how the US is encouraging Europe to buy more American weapons for Ukraine, read our separate article.