GENEVA: Switzerland’s government on Wednesday announced that the purchase and import of Russian liquefied natural gas would soon be completely banned, as the Alpine nation aligns itself with the latest round of EU sanctions.
“From 25 April, a complete ban on the purchase and import of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) will apply in Switzerland,” the government said in a statement.
It added though that in the case of pre-existing long-term supply contracts, a transition period would apply until the end of the year.
“The measure aims to reduce Russia’s revenues from the sale of fossil fuels, which are a major source of funding for the war against Ukraine,” it said.
The move was among a number of measures adopted by the Swiss government on Wednesday to align with the European Union’s 19th package of sanctions against Russia, adopted by the bloc late last year.
Non-EU member Switzerland has since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago matched the bloc’s economic sanctions on Russia.
Bern said Wednesday it had decided on other measures in the financial sector which will come into force this week, including a ban on providing cryptocurrency services to Russian citizens and companies.
Transactions involving certain rouble-backed cryptocurrencies, such as stablecoin A7A5 have also been banned, the government said, adding that it had also extended the ban on using certain specialized messaging services for payment transactions.
Among other measures decided Wednesday was tightening restrictions on Russian diplomats accredited in the EU, who will now need to give advance notice if they transit through or enter Switzerland.
Swiss government bans purchase and import of Russian gas
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Swiss government bans purchase and import of Russian gas
- Switzerland is tightening restrictions on Russian diplomats accredited in the EU
- It matched the EU’s economic sanctions on Russia since the invasion of Ukraine 4 years ago
US Justice Department official eyes cases against Cuba leaders as Trump floats ‘friendly takeover’
- “Working group” formed to build cases against people connected to the Cuban government
- Trump’s has increasingly displayed aggressive stance against Cuba’s communist leadership
MIAMI: The top Justice Department prosecutor in Miami is considering criminal investigations of Cuban government officials, according to people familiar with the matter. The inquiry comes as President Donald Trump has raised the possibility of a “friendly takeover” of the communist-run island.
Jason Reding Quiñones, the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, has created a “working group” that includes federal prosecutors and officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies to try to build cases against people connected to the Cuban government and its Communist Party, according to one of the people. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the effort.
It was not immediately clear which Cuban officials the office is targeting or what criminal charges prosecutors may be looking to bring.
The Justice Department said in a statement Friday that “federal prosecutors from across the country work every day to pursue justice, which includes efforts to combat transnational crime.”
The effort is taking place against the backdrop of Trump’s increasingly aggressive stance against Cuba’s communist leadership.
Emboldened by the US capture of Cuba’s close ally, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Trump last month said his administration was in high-level talks with officials in Havana to pursue “a friendly takeover” of the country. He repeated those claims this week, saying his attention would turn back to Cuba once the war with Iran winds down.
“They want to make a deal so bad,” Trump said of Cuba’s leadership.
While Cuba has faded from Washington’s radar as a major national security threat in recent decades, it remains a priority in the US Attorney’s office in Miami, whose political, economic and cultural life is dominated by Cuban-American exiles.
The FBI field office has a dedicated Cuba group that in 2024 was instrumental in the arrest of former US Ambassador Victor Manuel Rocha on charges of serving as a secret agent of Cuba stretching back to the 1970s.
In recent weeks, several Miami Republicans, in addition to Florida Sen. Rick Scott, have called on the Trump administration to reopen its criminal investigation into the 1996 shootdown of four planes operated by anti-communist exiles.
In a letter to Trump on Feb. 13, lawmakers including Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar and Carlos Gimenez highlighted decades-old news reports indicating that former President Raúl Castro — the head of Cuba’s military at the time — gave the order to shoot down the unarmed Cessna aircraft.
“We believe unequivocally that Raúl Castro is responsible for this heinous crime,” lawmakers wrote. “It is time for him to be brought to justice.”
While no indictment against Castro has been announced, Florida’s attorney general said this week that he would open a state-level investigation into the crime.
The Trump administration has also accused Cuba of not cooperating with American counterterrorism efforts, adding it alongside North Korea and Iran to a select few nations the US considers state sponsors of terrorism.
The designation stems from Cuba’s harboring of US fugitives and its refusal to extradite several Colombian rebel leaders while they were engaged in peace talks with the South American nation.
